New Bridgewater Bridge opens to thousands of interested walkers after completion

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The $786 million, four-lane Bridgewater Bridge has been opened to the public after more than two-and-a-half years of construction, with thousands of people registering to cross it on foot for the first time. It has been spruiked by the state government as the largest transport infrastructure project in Tasmania and replaces a steel lift bridge built more than 70 years ago. The bridge will open to road traffic on Monday morning, and landscaping and construction works will continue at the site over coming weeks.

Transcript

00:00Margaret McMaster and Barbara Jones witnessed the 1946 opening of the old Bridgewater Bridge.

00:12Today, they were the first to drive on the new one,

00:17soon followed by 7,000 others who registered to walk across it.

00:21I never walked on the bridge before, so I didn't get to Hobart or the Bowen, so I got this one.

00:27My family surprised me to do it. I wasn't going to do it, but I'm glad I did. I love it. I love this bridge.

00:33I worked here at Bridgewater for 30 years and I never thought I'd see this day. Never did.

00:40At $786 million, the new four-lane bridge replaces the old 1940s two-lane bridge

00:46and allows for the continuous flow of traffic towards the middle of Tasmania.

00:50It's been a long time coming, with some funding promised way back in 2004

00:56before political disagreements over scope and priorities meant it was put on hold.

01:01But construction finally started in 2022 and it's largely been finished on schedule.

01:07It's delivered jobs, it's delivered skills and it's delivered something that everyone

01:13who's been involved in can be enormously proud of.

01:17The bridge brings people and communities together and that is precisely what this bridge

01:23will be doing for many decades to come.

01:26The old bridge is expected to be demolished over the coming 12 months, with the causeway to remain in place.

01:33The new bridge will open to vehicle traffic tomorrow morning, saving time for those travelling

01:38between Northern Hobart and the Midlands.

01:41But today was all about the foot traffic.

01:44We've been waiting for it for so long, and here we are, we're doing it.

01:51Music to everyone's ears.

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