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Boorloo Bridge (Swan River bicycle and pedestrian bridges) Perth

In Perth, talking about constructing a new Swan River crossing for cyclists and pedestrians is finally a thing of the past. Instead, the new Boorloo Bridge will be the talk of the town. This iconic set of two cable-stayed bridges will officially be opened to the public on December 22^nd. The design, by Dutch design office ipv Delft and WSP Perth, references the culture and traditions of the Aboriginal Noongar people, who have strong historical and continuing connections to the location.

increasing capacity

The existing heritage listed Causeway Bridge over the Swan River only offered cyclists and pedestrians a two-metre-wide path, which is far too narrow for the large number of daily commuters between city centre and the Victoria Park area. Therefore, the Western Australian Department of Transport asked ipv Delft and the Perth office of international engineering company WSP to conduct a pre-feasibility study focusing on the possibilities of a new connection near the Causeway Bridges. Like the existing connection, the new one would have to cross Heirisson Island, a landscaped nature reserve and an important registered Aboriginal heritage site.

stakeholder involvement

As Heirisson Island is of cultural and historical significance to the Aboriginal community, Noongar representatives were among the various stakeholders consulted during the concept design process. Others included WestCycle, the peak body for cycling in Western Australia, local governments, several departments of the State Government and the State Heritage Office.

Ipv Delft and WSP initially explored different locations and alignments, of which three preferred alignments were shortlisted during the consultation phase: one immediately parallel to the Causeway, another a little further away but still parallel, and a third option which was furthest from the Causeway and involved a longer path across the island. For each of these alignments, ipv Delft came up with one or more concept designs.

concept design

Based on stakeholder feedback, two cable stayed bridges (250 m and 140 m in length) at around an 80 m distance from the Causeway Bridges, were recommended as the preferred concept design. The State government then publicly announced in August 2020 that this preferred concept would be built.

Noongar references

The design of the bridge pylons derives inspiration from implements used by the Noongar people as well as the stories of Fanny Balbuk and Yagan, two key figures associated with Heirisson Island. Fanny is represented in the largest bridge by two digging sticks (Wanna), and Yagan is represented by a single expressive hunting boomerang (kylie / kali). This configuration creates balance between the two bridges, with neither dominating the other. Furthermore, it allows for the bridges to span the Swan River with minimal disturbance. The only contact with the Swan River is where the pylons contact the water.

The bridges connect to the existing pedestrian and cycling network on both sides of the river and allow a direct connection across Heirisson Island, with minimal impact on their sensitive surroundings.

final design

Although ipv Delft wasn’t involved in the final design phase, the end result is clearly based on our design and only small changes have been made. Additions include triangular shaped ‘pause points’ where bridge deck and pylons meet for people to rest and take in the amazing views and landscaping on the northern shore. All in all, the Boorloo Bridge provides a lot of added value to the cyclists and pedestrians of Perth.