Naming competition ruled out as Kangaroo Point green bridge set to open December 15

Brisbane’s latest and most striking bridge is set to open but one thing will be missing.

A naming competition has been ruled out ahead of the opening of Brisbane’s latest and most striking bridge this Sunday, December 15.

The Go Between Bridge’s name was the most popular of 10 short-listed options in a 2009 public competition. It honours the legendary Brisbane band the Go Betweens.

The Goodwill Bridge name commemorates the 2001 Goodwill Games.

A public naming competition in 2008 for the Tank Street Bridge resulted in it becoming the Kurilpa Bridge, a local indigenous name meaning “place of water rats’’.

But the city’s second “green’’ river crossing will just be the plain old Kangaroo Point Bridge.

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The Kangaroo Point Bridge opens this Sunday. Picture: Josh Woning

Three years after construction began on the structure, first mooted in the 1860s, there would be an official opening from 8.30-11am including free entertainment and cut-price deals at a dozen nearby bars, cafes, restaurants, coffee shops and clubs.

The opening date was revealed in October when it was announced a time capsule would be buried on the site.

The Tassis Group, operators of eateries Massimo, Opa and Yamas, were due to have opened on the bridge on Sunday but that was now anticipated for the new year.

They would run an elegant above-water noshery, Stilts, as well as a casual all-day riverside cafe to be called Mulga Bill’s.

KANGAROO POINT GREEN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN PICTURES

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced during lockdown that the bridge would be fast-tracked along with some other critical infrastructure to drive investment and jobs.

He promised five green bridges soon after becoming mayor, although one at Bellbowrie was later scrapped and two at Toowong/West End and St Lucia/West End were in limbo.

The bridge, originally costed at $190 million, was now believed to have come in at about $299 million, including a $63 million federal contribution.

About 30 boat moorings off the City Botanic Gardens that had been used by international travellers had to be removed.

It was expected to take nearly 85,000 cars off the road every year and help reduce travel times by up to 50 per cent, cutting the commute between the eastern suburbs and the CBD by up to 15 minutes.

The striking, single-mast cable stayed structure spans 470m, is 6.8m wide and the bridge deck is up to 12.7m above high tide level, the same height as Victoria and Captain Cook bridges.

Its mast is 90m high, 20m taller than the Story Bridge.

In November last year the masthead was sailed upriver on a barge at low tide, giving it just enough room to get under the Story Bridge.

The final design and documentation was developed by Blight Rayner Architecture and Dissing + Weitling as part of Connect Brisbane consortium with contractor Besix Watpac.

The project included new walking and riding connections from the bridge landing at Scott St through to Main St and Deakin St in Kangaroo Point.

There was also a signalised crossing on the corner of Edward and Alice streets in the CBD.

However, Council Transport Chair Ryan Murphy recently confirmed a nearby Kangaroo Point Riverwalk would not go ahead due to the cost, estimated to be at least $93 million.

It would have needed to be built on piles over the river because of adjacent riverfront units.

Mr Murphy said council was instead building a bikeway along Shafston Ave, connecting the pedestrian and cycling green bridge’s landing site on Deakin Rd to the Lytton Rd bike lane.

“We know that the Riverwalk is a very expensive project and council and the state government don’t even own all of the land along the riverfront,” he said.

“We believe that the bikeway is a far more cost-effective and direct alternative to a Riverwalk that can be done a bit sooner and can get better results for residents in this East Brisbane area.”