‘A lot of people are sad’: Freo businesses struggle over bridge woes

One business has been forced to close while others are cutting back staff, and it’s only the start of the impacts the Fremantle Traffic Bridge closure is having on either side of the river.

The bridge officially closed on February 1 and will remain shut for 12 months, but local businesses are already feeling the pinch.

Cellarbrations co-owner Stephen Zito has run his liquor store on Canning Highway for 17 years, but traffic management will force him to shut up shop on April 30.

“I’ve been here since March 2009, and I’m surrendering my lease early because ... the traffic around here has reduced considerably and after a pretty bad winter in 2025, I can’t do another winter like that because it was costing me money,” Zito said.

“I’m really sad. A lot of people are sad. This is a family business we’ve had for 17 years. We’ve all worked here, and it’s really sad it has to end this way.”

Safety issues have also been a concern for Zito with many people opting to use Sewell Street as a “rat run” now that motorists are unable to drive westbound towards Fremantle at the intersection between Stirling Highway and Canning Highway.

“Google directs traffic around and what does it do? It’s caused a rat run, full stop,” he said.

“It’s only going to get worse with time.”

This masthead witnessed numerous cars drive straight through the new bus-only lane on the intersection between Stirling and Canning highways.

George Street silence

East Fremantle locals are familiar with the charm of George Street, but the foot traffic on a weekday has never been quieter.

Nourish Me Wholefoods owner Michael Bond said the drop-off in patrons has been noticeable.

“For the first week or two people stopped coming to East Fremantle. It’s slightly getting back to normal now, but … we’re just not seeing the people we used to see in the afternoons and early morning. People are just avoiding the area,” he said.

French restaurant La Lune has opted to switch to winter hours early.

“We’re seeing later starts to services as our guests are taking longer to get to us, there are quiet patches in between services as guests are travelling,” owner Sam Davies said.

“[But] we have been steady and we have a beautiful community that supports us.”

Savvy Brands owner Stacey Jones said the “vibe” on George Street has disappeared.

“I think what’s really hurting is actually the hype, it’s not the bridge itself. Peak hour traffic is different, but during the day to get from one side to the other, it is no different to prior,” Jones said.

“So it is definitely not a vibe to come here … and there’s been a pinch and it’s definitely hurting. But I don’t think it’s the bridge itself. I think it’s how they’ve gone about getting people to avoid the area.”

North Fremantle

While those south of the river are feeling the brunt of the bridge closure, those to the north are staying afloat.

Ooh Coffee still has regulars popping in for their usual coffee hit, but manager Joel Smith said they’ve cut back on staff hours to get by.

“I feel like we haven’t had a massive difference. For our café, we’ve seen maybe a 10 to 15 per cent drop, and it’s pretty evident people are coming in at different times,” he said.

“We’ve certainly had to cut back on hours for staff. When I would typically run five, now I run four.”

North Fremantle Chiropractic owner Nathan Bridger said his business is running as usual, noting the extra parking in the area has benefited his clients.

“For a business like ours, where it is appointment-based, there’s been no major issue,” he said.

But he did agree Fremantle council has lacked in their support for local businesses.

“There’s been very poor support from the Freo Council; like they’re nice, but there was no business support for people unless you were a tourism-based business,” he said.

Mojo’s Bar has extended its hours to cater to new clientele.

“People still support our venue, even if it is a little out of their way, so we’re really appreciative of that,” venue manager Grace Le Fanu said.

“We are also expecting trade to increase with the opening of our kitchen and new menu launch.”

Local government response

The Town of East Fremantle said it does not hold any data on the impacts on businesses on George Street and the surrounding area caused by the bridge closure.

“However, staff are in contact with the Fremantle Bridge Alliance, which has been regularly checking in on local businesses. We also liaise frequently with the recently formed George Street Collective,” a spokesperson said.

“Since the start of the year, two businesses have approached the Town to ask whether we would be offering any business support grants, for the likes of advertising, similar to the City of Fremantle. The Town does not currently have plans to offer business support grants.”

The spokesperson also said that parking on George Street was developed “pre-cars” and parking was limited prior to the bridge closure.

Fremantle mayor Ben Lawver said the City has initiated a grants program to help small businesses remain visible this year with 12 of the 50 grants going to North Fremantle businesses.

“I’ve been going to North Fremantle regularly as a customer and I’ve been checking on businesses to see how they’ve been faring since the bridge closure. It seems, overall, they’re doing OK, but there’s certainly a mix of experiences,” Lawver said.

“The ones that appear to be doing well are the ones that have either diversified their offering or enhanced their presence.

“That’s the feedback City officers have been getting too. The economic development team has done a lot of work over the past 12 months to prepare the entire Fremantle business community for the bridge closure and help them explore new ways of attracting customers during this period.”

A spokesperson for Main Roads said the intersection of Stirling and Canning Highway was modified to support traffic flow.

“Retaining the straight-through movement for cars on Canning Highway during the bridge closure would have created excessive levels of congestion at the intersection and unacceptable delays for road users on Stirling Highway,” they said.

“The dedicated bus lanes have been implemented to improve bus travel times and reliability and to encourage the community to shift to public transport to help reduce congestion during the bridge closure period.”

The spokesperson also said cameras were only in place to “monitor and respond to traffic conditions” at the intersection not to capture illegal driving.

“Driving in the bus lane is illegal and those caught doing so face being fined by WA Police,” they said.