Cyclists will have an easier time crossing Hobart’s Tasman Bridge as plans for the first major upgrades in almost 50 years are presented.
Key points:
- The Tasman Bridge will have wider bike and pedestrian trails
- The federal and state governments are contributing $ 65 million
- It is the first major improvement since the 1975 bridge collapsed
The Tasmanian government has released the long-awaited conceptual designs for the $ 130 million upgrades for the bridge linking the east and west coasts of Hobart.
The cost will be shared evenly by the state and federal governments.
Key improvements to the agenda are the creation of 3.5 m lanes on each side of the bridge, higher safety barriers, improvements to maintenance and lighting infrastructure.
Plans are expected to make walking and cycling across the bridge safer and more accessible, as existing roads were initially designed to be maintenance rides rather than public roads.
Plans include a higher security barrier. (Provided by: State Growth)
The Tasmanian Bicycle Network has been pushing for safer bike paths on the bridge for years.
A 2020 incident saw a woman in her forties suffer serious head injuries after getting off her bike down a narrow path, with the traffic barrier just at the handlebars.
The Tasman Bridge, one of the main arterial routes to Hobart’s CBD, will also be structurally strengthened.
The update is expected to be complete by 2025.
The Tasman Bridge was built and inaugurated in the early 1960s.
It will be the first major improvement to the bridge since a stretch collapsed in 1975 when it was hit by the Lake Illawarra bulk carrier.
Several pylons were hit by the boat as it moved toward the zinc works, causing nearly 130 meters of the bridge to sink into the river, sinking the ship.
Five motorcyclists and seven crew aboard the ship were killed and the city of Hobart was cut in two.
The bridge was reopened in 1977 after reconstruction work.
Public comments on the plan for the update are open until July 19th.
Improved lighting is also part of the upgrade. (Provided by: State Growth)
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Posted 13 hours, 13 hours ago, Monday, June 27, 2022 at 4:49 AM, updated 12 hours ago, 12 hours ago, Monday, June 27, 2022 at 5:58 AM