The final stretch of concrete decking has been laid along the length of Brisbane City Council’s highly-anticipated Kangaroo Point Bridge, as the project reaches 90% completion.
The project’s latest milestone lays the foundation for the first people to walk across the city’s newest bridge, almost 13 metres above the Brisbane River.
“The Kangaroo Point Bridge will become one of our city’s most recognisable landmarks when complete, but more importantly it will help keep Brisbane moving,” said Brisbane Lord Mayor, Adrian Schrinner.
He said the bridge will help reduce travel times by up to 50%, cutting the commute between Brisbane’s eastern suburbs and the CBD by up to 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes for pedestrians travelling from Kangaroo Point and the Gabba Stadium to the CBD.
Major structural elements of the bridge are now complete with the final connecting span and viewing platform lifted into place in early June, followed by the pouring of the bridge’s concrete deck.
All temporary structures have been removed, including the dismantling of the world’s strongest tower crane, which lifted the bridge’s 95-metre mast and cable stay system into place.
“A bridge linking Kangaroo Point to the CBD has been talked about since the 1800s and now the Schrinner Council is making it a reality,” said Council Chair for Transport, Ryan Murphy.
“The Kangaroo Point Bridge is the most significant investment into active transport in Brisbane’s history and will help to deliver the infrastructure our growing city needs.
“By providing more options for people to leave their car at home, we can help reduce congestion and help keep our city moving.”
Works will now shift to preparing the Kangaroo Point and CBD bridge entrances before opening to the public at the end of this year.
More than 500 metres of balustrading, furniture, seating and solar panels along the bridge’s covered walkway will also be installed.
New signalised pedestrian crossings have been completed at the CBD landing, boosting safety for walkers and cyclists accessing the bridge from the CBD.
A new Story Bridge underpass also recently opened, which will connect the Kangaroo Point Bridge to Brisbane’s eastern suburbs.
“Brisbane is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities and the Kangaroo Point Bridge will help take 84,000 cars off the road every year,” said Lord Mayor Schrinner.
“We made a commitment to help people get home sooner and safer and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
“We’re also working with the Federal Government to build better roads and improve public transport, including the Moggill Road and Beams Road corridor upgrades and our turn-up-and-go Brisbane Metro.”
The $299 million Kangaroo Point Bridge is a joint venture between Council and the Australian Government and is one of the first projects to be delivered under the landmark South East Queensland City Deal.
“Our Government is delivering the infrastructure that Queensland needs. It’s great to see the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge almost complete, it’s going to provide better connections for Brisbane residents and our visitors,” said Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King.
More than 646,000 hours have been worked over the life of the project, creating 1,400 local jobs and 60 apprenticeships.
The bridge is expected to be open in late 2024.
