Launceston's Alexandra Suspension Bridge at Cataract Gorge has reopened to the public after a four-month closure for a $1.5 million refurbishment. Video by Joe Colbrook
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00:00Launceston's Alexandra Suspension Bridge is once again open to the public.
00:05That is a brand new bridge and it's free of any rust or lead paint and it's going to last for
00:10another 50 years, no worries at all. So in the last 120 years, this is the most significant
00:15upgrade that we've done. We've done it in two stages. After the A-frame towers at either end
00:20were given a bit of love in 2020, in 2025 it was time for the rest of the bridge to be refurbished.
00:26Between January and May of this year, council workers have given it quite the comprehensive
00:31overhaul with hundreds of newly fabricated steel parts, 1200 new bolts and the handrails being
00:40replaced. After such a wide-ranging overhaul, you might be wondering, is it the same bridge?
00:45I think one of the really exciting things about the approach to this is that this is the same bridge.
00:50We had to work to ensure that the design, the paint colour, absolutely everything
00:56was the same as when we ended as when we started. We've tightened up all the nuts and bolts so it's
01:01a little bit more sturdy but I can guarantee you the swing is still there. She can be called the
01:06swinging bridge. If you didn't know, you probably wouldn't know that a lot of work's gone on which
01:11is a credit to the team.