The one-mile Bridgewater causeway was constructed between 1829 and 1830 by 200 convicts under secondary punishment. The aim was to make it easier for people to travel between Hobart and Launceston, as well as improve access to the farmlands in the midlands.

A boat ferried traffic between the end of the causeway and the Eastern Shore for a time before a retractable bridge* was built in 1848. It was replaced by a swing bridge** in the 1870s. By the early 1900s, two separate swing bridges existed – one for the Tasmanian Main Line Railway and one for road traffic.

The existing Bridgewater Bridge was built between 1939 and 1942 to carry rail, road, and foot traffic. The lift span cost £28,433*** to construct.

The bridge gradually became unsafe, unreliable, and expensive to maintain. The state and federal governments announced in 2018 that they would spend $576 million to replace it. Construction of a new bridge began in 2022 after a period of planning and is currently in progress. It will open to traffic by the end of 2024, according to the state government.

* A retractable bridge consists of a movable span or section that can be rolled or slid backwards to allow ships to pass.

** A swing bridge consists of a moveable span or section that pivots horizontally around a central point – much like a swinging gate – to allow ships to pass. A good example of a swing bridge is the bridge that crosses the Denison Canal at Dunalley.

*** A little over $2,095,800 today.

Tas That Was is a column that includes:

  • anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
  • historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
  • documentaries about locations in Tasmania.

If you have an anecdote or photograph you’d like to share with us, please send it to [email protected].

Callum J. Jones studied English, History, and Journalism at the University of Tasmania. He has written fiction and non-fiction for Tasmanian Times since 2018, and can be traced by the smell of fresh coffee.

Follow him on Twitter (@Callum_Jones_10) and Facebook (@callum.j.jones.creative).