Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Jeremy Rockliff officially opened the new Bridgewater Bridge today (Sunday, 1 June 2025).
Rockliff said the bridge is “a testament to the fact that when we put our hearts and minds to it, Tasmanians can get things done and we can achieve anything.”
“[This project has involved] many Tasmanian workers, many businesses and much Tasmanian material as well from all over our wonderful state,” he said.
Anthony Albanese, PM.
“[Building the bridge] has also helped upskill our local workforce, delivering a boost that will benefit Tasmania well beyond this actual project, and there’s no doubt this project has delivered a legacy, and it will serve our state for generations.”
Albanese declared the bridge “a prime example of a project built with absolutely the right priorities.”
“There’s no better piece of infrastructure than a bridge, because a bridge brings people and communities together,” he said.
“That is precisely what this bridge will be doing for many decades to come.”
The total cost of the bridge came in at a whopping $768M after originally the Public Works Committee listed the project cost at $576 million in 2021. It was also supposed to have been open to traffic in 2024.
Works across the project site will continue over coming weeks, including landscaping, construction of the new roundabout linking Old Main Road and Gunn Street, and removal of the temporary bridge and barges.
For more information about the project and to see the latest flythrough footage, visit the project website at bridgewaterbridge.tas.gov.au.
Full Circle in a Roadster
Margaret McMaster and Barbara Jones, both aged in their 90s, stole the spotlight at the Bridgewater Bridge opening.
Having attended the old bridge’s opening in 1946, they unveiled a commemorative plaque for the new one and were then driven across it in a vintage 1910 Roadster.
Albanese described this as “entirely appropriate.”
Margaret McMaster and Barbara Jones unveil the new bridge’s commemorative plaque.
New Bridge In, Old Bridge Out
With the new bridge now open to traffic, the process of removing the old Bridgewater Bridge will begin, with completion expected by September next year.
The convict-built causeway and several other elements – including the abutments – will be left in place and undisturbed.
The north tower is set to be preserved as part of a public art display.
Cutting the Ribbon
A PWD View from Tammy
What an amazing day for Tasmania with the opening of the new Bridgewater Bridge. Hundreds took the opportunity to walk the bridge for the first time this a crisp sunny winter’s day.
People, mums and dads, prams with kids, older people, young people, people pushing bikes all crossed enjoying the celebration of this marvellous contemporary architecture. What interested me the most was that many other people with disabilities attended this event
Not that I am a stalker but I paid particular attention and kept a keen eye out for people with disabilities, other people like myself and my vigilance was rewarded. I found my people amongst the bridge walkers. What makes this significant is that it highlights that people with disabilities are out and about and everywhere mainstream abled-bodied Tasmanians are.
The atmosphere was one of joy and pride in this beautiful new bridge and the hard work that went it to building a structure to endure for the next 100 or more years. Smiles were on everyone’s faces. It was a whole of community event with abled and disabled people attending with pride.
Now the bummer bit.
I get the feeling that PWD were not actually taken into consideration it seems with the $100 000 event was in the planning stages.
There were some portaloos on both side of the bridge but none were wheelchair accessible. That’s ok we don’t need to pee, especially when the cold wind starts nagging at our bladders (joking) it becomes more urgent for some, me included.
The second bummer was the parking. I actually live in Bridgewater and so drove the two kilometres from my home to the bridge and thought I will park at the little Granton playground, nope no footpaths to get to the bridge. The thing about this is that it seems little planning had been made for those of us who were not or could not catch the bus from Derwent Entertainment Centre.
Talking to Dan’s Mum, she said it was his first tip on a bus in his powered wheelchair, and it was scary. She worried about the return journey.
I didn’t catch the bus because I live only a few kilometres away but found access to the bridge problematic with lack of parking and lack of information about what to do or where to go. At the end of the day I didn’t get hit by a car as we trundled along the road near the train tracks after parking at the York Hotel and that’s a good thing.
But people like Dan and I weren’t taken into consideration when the event was planned, so that makes a portion of our community that was forgotten.
So I’m just thinking though that the next time a big event or a small event or any event is organised where the public is invited to attend it might be good to in the planning stages engage the service of an access consultant or even just a person with a disability. They will point out the blind spots you might miss like accessible toilets or accessible information and information about access.
The bridge is a marvel to behold and I was proud to be one of the first to walk/roll it along side my community. I am proud that so many disabled people walked, rolled and cane-tapped the bridge today.
Postscript: I weed a little in my pants and that was fine, because at the end of the day I was at this historic event and a little wee didn’t stop me.
By Callum J. Jones and Tammy Milne.
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