Woman, 92, who cheated death on Fremantle's old bridge stoked for new crossing

In 1956, 22-year-old Jan Middleton embarked on a driving lesson with her colleague Barbara Shimmon in Fremantle. Along for the ride was Thelma Davies, who ate her lunch in the backseat. As they approached the old Fremantle Traffic Bridge, rain began to fall and they encountered wet oil on the road. The trio circled the bridge twice before striking a cement pillar, causing the car to flip and plunge 10 metres to its demise.

The women teetered on the bridge's edge before plummeting onto the hood of their vehicle. Jan Middleton recalled feeling devastated, believing she was about to meet her demise. Surprisingly, all three women emerged unscathed from the harrowing incident, aside from bruised bones. For the following week, they relied on cushions to alleviate their injuries.

Now 92 years old, Jan Middleton will be among the inaugural walkers across the brand-new Fremantle Traffic Bridge, officially named Walyalup Bridge, which opened four months ahead of schedule. The once-oak bridge, which was shut in February for construction, was projected to take a year but has been completed ahead of time. However, the project's cost has surged from the initial $230 million estimate in 2021 to a staggering $596 million.

Traffic authorities cautioned that the delay could result in significant congestion, potentially prompting the government to restrict truck traffic on the Stirling Bridge during peak hours. To adjust to the bridge's closure, authorities implemented a series of changes to the local transport network, including extra train and bus services, increased free parking for SmartRider users, and heightened surveillance via CCTV.

The new 500-meter Walyalup Bridge maintains the same number of traffic lanes but boasts wider pedestrian paths, a higher boat clearance, and is the first extradosed bridge constructed in Australia, incorporating both cantilever and cable-stayed supports. This bridge represents the third iteration of the Fremantle Traffic Bridge; the initial one was erected by convicts in the mid-1800s, while the second opened in 1939.