A range of barrier and handrail systems was supplied and installed by Moddex for a major road infrastructure upgrade project in Fremantle, Perth.

With an overarching goal of improving safety, creating smoother journey times and enabling better connectivity, the $118 million High Street and Stirling Highway Intersection Upgrade was successfully delivered in February 2022.

Contracted by Georgiou Group for the client, Main Roads Western Australia, Moddex supplied and installed several kilometres of modular balustrade and handrail systems to associated bike and pedestrian paths, stairs and underpasses, with the products comprising of a mix of bridge barriers, disability handrails, industrial handrails and bikeway barriers.

The upgrade was jointly funded by the Federal ($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, and 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 that 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 Street and Stirling Highway, artworks by Peter Jnr and Kayley Emery feature native animals and plants representative of the Six Noongar Seasons, while the Montreal Street and High Street underpass displays a large-scale mural by Peter Farmer and Lance Chadd that “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 for the artistic design of these extensive noise mitigation walls.

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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-efficient. 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 solutions were found in the design modelling process through our easily adapted modular systems.

With Moddex, Everything Fits™.

Project details

Location: Fremantle, Perth, Western Australia

Client: Main Roads Western Australia

Industry: Road Infrastructure / Government / Public Infrastructure

Products:

Assistrail Disability Handrails AR10, AR20, AR150
Bikesafe Bikeway Barriers BS30
Bridgerail Bridge Barriers BR40, BR45
Tuffrail Industrial Handrails TR20

Architecture & Design Team

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Moddex

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