New development in stalled Sydney Harbour Bridge project

A design for a controversial Sydney Harbour Bridge project has been unveiled after years of contention stalled its approval.

A cycle path set to soar over northern Sydney’s Harbour Bridge district is one step closer to reality after five years of back and forth with concerned community members.

Design plans for the project were originally placed on public exhibition by North Sydney Council in 2017 and rejected due to an overwhelming response from local residents.

Currently, cyclists have to dismount from their bike and walk up a flight of 55 stairs if they want to travel south on the bridge.

Community members raised concerns over the raised cycle path detracting from views of the iconic landmark, infringing on open green spaces in Bradfield Park and the felling of local trees.

An aerial view of the new cyclepath that will extend for 200m onto the Bridge. Picture: Aspect Studios

The Harbour Bridge cycleway is designed to hug the railway and blend in with the existing landscape. Picture: Aspect Studios

The final design will feature a 200m pathway that will stretch from Alfred St and will hug the western side of the bridge to integrate cleanly with the existing landscape.

Three final designs were short-listed for public input in December 2021 before the successful design was selected after 1000 public feedback responses.

ASPECT Studio was awarded the winning design and credit their success to the recognition of indigenous histories and stories of whales, migration and sea animals in their fluid design structure.

“The crossing point of the harbour from Gadigal to Cammeraygal is a really important design component for us, and this idea of crossing country is something that really generated our narrative,” ASPECT Studios design and strategy director Sacha Coles said.

The gradient of the cycleway is no more than 2 per cent at any point, assuaging the concerns of residents and making it accessible to elderly, children and differently abled people.

An artist's impression of the final Harbour Bridge cycleway design. Picture: Aspect Studios

The cycleway is the most heavily used in the city of Sydney, with about 2000 cyclists crossing the harbour each day.

“The Sydney Harbour Bridge was visionary when it was originally designed 90 years ago,” Cities, Infrastructure and Active Transport Minister Rob Stokes said.

“Now is the time to look ahead and deliver an equally forward-thinking extension of the bridge that will allow even more people to ride between the Sydney CBD and the north shore for work or leisure.”