Project Overview
With an overarching goal of improving safety, creating smoother journey times and better connectivity, the $118 million High Street and Stirling Highway Intersection Upgrade (Fremantle, Perth) has been successfully delivered in February 2022.
Contracted by Georgiou Group, Moddex Group supplied and installed several kilometres of proprietary modular balustrade and handrail systems to associated bike and pedestrian paths, stairs and underpasses – including a mix of bridge barriers, disability handrails, industrial handrails and bikeway barriers.
The proposed upgrade was jointly funded by the Australian ($73.62 million) and State ($44.38 million) governments.
Before the upgrade, the High Street and Stirling Highway Intersection was subject to notoriously bad congestion, noise pollution, travel delays, and traffic accidents presenting safety risks for both road users and pedestrians. The project is officially complete, providing safer, more efficient access for motorists travelling to and from Fremantle and for heavy vehicles accessing the port.
The upgrade consisted of a series of critical safety improvements, including the widening of lanes, the separation of eastbound and westbound traffic with a mature tree-lined median, traffic lights replaced by a new roundabout, pedestrian and bicycle paths, noise control walls, new underpasses and bypass lanes to separate local traffic from traffic heading to or from Fremantle Port or locations north of the river.
Local Heritage & Cultural Significance
The project features a number of culturally significant design aesthetics which uphold the culture and heritage of the greater Fremantle area.
The two new pedestrian underpasses feature the art of prominent Local Indigenous Noongar artists, representative of the traditional stories and heritage of the area. At the underpass of Forrest St and Stirling Highway, Peter Jnr and Kayley Emery – feature native animals and plants representative of the Six Noongar Seasons.
While at the Montreal St/High St underpass, Peter Farmer and Lance Chadd’s mural “provides an interpretation of Walyalup’ – meaning the place of Walyo (Woylie) and is the traditional Bibbulmun Whudjook name for Fremantle”, according to the High Street Project Sustainability Report 2021.
Moreover, noise walls (built as a part of noise mitigation), features extensive artistic designs representative of the relatively undocumented immigrant story of the Italian migrants Guiseppi and Anna Scolaro who migrated to Fremantle in 1949 from Sicily.
The concept is based on the designs, patterns and colour schemes of terrazzo tiles produced at their Universal Terazzo Tile Factory, which operated from 1950 to 1973. Local artist Penny Bovell was engaged in the artistic design of these extensive noise mitigation walls.
Why was Moddex selected?
Our long-term partnership with repeat contractor Georgiou Group was no doubt a decisive factor in the selection process. Having successfully worked collaboratively on large infrastructure projects before with this leading building and civil construction company, Moddex was their first port of call.
Additionally, safety and compliance are of utmost importance on shared use paths for pedestrians and cyclists. Bikesafe® Bikeway Barriers are intrinsically engineered for guaranteed compliance to the requirements of the Austroads Design Guide (Part 6A and 6B).
Our pre-configured systems ensured that the entire project was low-risk, compliant and cost-effecient. The innovative nature of our modular systems means that our barriers can be modified to cater for any unique requirements – removing delays and risks, optimising efficiency and affirming certainty every step of the way.
During the course of the upgrade, Moddex overcame design changes quickly and easily. We ensured that all compliance and specifications of the project were met, every potential hurdle was identified, and found solutions in the design modelling process through our easily adapted modular systems.
Ready to find out how Moddex can help you?
With Moddex, Everything Fits™.
Talk to our expert team by calling or emailing us with your enquiry:
· Australia: 1800 663 339 or sales@moddex.com.au
· New Zealand: 0800 663 339 or sales@moddex.co.nz
We look forward to hearing from you.
