Tasmania’s largest infrastructure project, a bridge replacement, is open to traffic.
The US$516.5 million new Bridgewater Bridge is 1.2km in length and takes two lanes of traffic over the river Derwent in the south of the island state. It fixes a missing link between two highways to give a more reliable journey time to the 22,000 people who make the crossing each day. The new structure has features that make it safer for all users. It has a higher clearance for marine traffic, eliminating the need for a lifting span, which should improve efficiency for road and river users.
The community marked the opening with a day of events attended by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, including an opportunity to walk the bridge.
The old bridge carried a railway line that closed in 2014. The new bridge has no provision for a railway. However, the design requirements specified that the new Bridgewater Bridge should not obstruct the rail corridor. This would allow for a potential reintroduction of a rail crossing with a modern lifting bridge.
The contractors were McConnell Dowell, with partners Jacobs; Tony Gee and Partners; Tonkin and Taylor; Wood Marsh; and Pitt & Sherry and bridge specialist VSL.
