Jun 7, 2021

Key planners back study of green bridge between Teneriffe and Bulimba

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A green bridge between Teneriffe and Bulimba would reduce congestion to the CBD and would be used heavily by pedestrians and cyclists, one of Australia’s leading urban planning agencies said.

Two years ago, Brisbane City Council announced it would spend $550 million to build five green bridges, then announced locations for green bridges at Kangaroo Point, Breakfast Creek, Toowong and West End.

Labor state MPs questioned why no green bridges were planned downstream of the Story Bridge, while the LNP council administration insisted it was waiting to see the findings of a 2016 Arup report before committing ratepayers’ money to its own investigations.

A green bridge linking Teneriffe to Bulimba was included in the RACQ’s 2017 Bridging Brisbane study.

Urbis regional director Ben Slack said a green bridge in that reach of the Brisbane River made sense.

Mr Slack’s firm released a concept image this year of proposed 2032 Brisbane Olympic venues that featured a bridge from Newstead to Bulimba.

“The Bulimba to Teneriffe [area] could be re-examined as part of a further stage of the green bridges initiative,” Mr Slack said.

“This further stage would, of course, include more detailed studies and community consultation.

“There are, however, issues with landing points and impacts on existing properties.”

Mr Slack said the bridge would need to be designed to ensure river traffic was not compromised, which could potentially add costs to its construction.

“One thing is certain though, a connected city is more efficient and liveable and hopefully this bridge is further investigated post the forthcoming consultation regarding Toowong to West End and St Lucia to West End,” he said.

Council public and active transport chairman Ryan Murphy said a 2016 study commissioned by the Transport and Main Roads Department and obtained by Brisbane Times under Right to Information laws last month ruled out a 30-metre-high bridge, tipped to cost more than $200 million.

Cr Murphy said a lower bridge that could open to allow river traffic to pass was an “even worse option”.

Such a bridge would have operational costs of more than $200,000 a year and have noise and safety impacts for residents, he said.

“If the Premier will not commit to this white elephant bridge, then why should Brisbane ratepayers?” he said.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the council had been consulted throughout the project as a major stakeholder and was provided with a copy in June 2016, despite claims the report had been kept secret until last week.

“Council manages the local road networks at either end of where a new bridge between Bulimba and Teneriffe could go … so they need to take the lead with this,” he said.

RACQ’s Bridging Brisbane study included two references to future bus, pedestrian and cycling bridges between Teneriffe and Bulimba-Hawthorne.

“Stage one includes a bridge from the CBD Botanic Gardens to Kangaroo Point, stage two a connecting bridge from Dockside ferry terminal to Merthyr Road at New Farm Riverwalk and the final stage a bridge from Merthyr Road to the Hawthorne ferry terminal,” the RACQ report says.

Originally published by Brisbane Times HERE.

Key planners back study of green bridge between Teneriffe and Bulimba

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Key planners back study of green bridge between Teneriffe and Bulimba

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Contact Us Today

1300 393 855

Brisbane

Gold Coast

Sydney

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