Busy Bonner bridge builders meet mast milestone

One of Brisbane’s new bridges reached a milestone overnight, with a 140-tonne, 50-metre long mast put in place on the Neville Bonner Bridge.

The pedestrian bridge is part of the Star Entertainment Group’s $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf casino complex and will link South Bank to the CBD.

A time-lapse of the Neville Bonner bridge under construction.

Rising 75 metres, as high as the Story Bridge, it is one of several bridges being built across Brisbane River, linking northern and southern suburbs.

Other projects include four “green bridges”, allowing only pedestrians and cyclists to cross, two of which have had construction delayed as part of flood recovery.

A bridge from Toowong to West End and one linking St Lucia to West End remain on the backburner, but Breakfast Creek and Kangaroo Point bridges are now under construction.

Destination Brisbane Consortium project director Simon Crooks said the installation of the mast on the Neville Bonner Bridge, named after Australia’s first Indigenous parliamentarian, was a significant construction milestone.

The mast on the Neville Bonner Bridge was put in place overnight. 

“The bridge, in essence, creates a pedestrian-only highway between Brisbane’s cultural precinct, the rail and bus network hubs at South Brisbane, and Queen’s Wharf including the southern end of the CBD,” he said.

“Together with the 28 metres of lower mast already in place, the structure now sits at around 75 metres above the river’s edge, around the same height as the Story Bridge.”

Bonner’s legacy will be acknowledged at several locations on and at the entrances to the bridge.

“The Neville Bonner bust that was in the Neville Bonner Building will be positioned prominently
at the connection between the bridge and integrated resort,” Crooks said.

“The bust, along with plaques at the bridge lookout, will acknowledge the importance of Neville Bonner’s legacy as Australia’s first Indigenous federal member of parliament.”

Brisbane’s bridges under construction

Breakfast Creek Green Bridge  

• Linking the inner city to the northern suburbs. 
• As of September 12, marine works including major piling activities would continue throughout the month. 
• Marine piling works to establish the foundations of the bridge started on the northern side of Breakfast Creek, after a piling barge arrived in mid-August. 
• Land piling works in the north-west corner of Newstead Park were completed in August.  
• The bridge was expected to be completed by early 2024.  

Kangaroo Point Bridge  

• Linking Kangaroo Point with the city. 
• Piling activity began in September to construct a temporary jetty to provide access to marine work. 
• In September, there will also be concreting works, and excavation works for stormwater drains. 
• The bridge was expected to be completed in 2024. 

Toowong to West End Bridge

• Expected to link West End with the Toowong centre, rail and ferry services.
• Paused to prioritise flood recovery. 
• Construction could start in 2024, and was expected to take two years. It was expected to be completed before the St Lucia to West End bridge. 

St Lucia to West End Bridge

• Linking St Lucia, the University of Queensland, West End, Highgate Hill, and the CBD. 
• Paused to prioritise flood recovery. 
• The bridge was expected to be completed after the Toowong to West End bridge.  

Source: Brisbane City Council 

The mast was lifted into place using a 600-tonne crawler crane positioned on a barge, and has an aviation safety light and electronic beacon detectable by aircraft.

Construction for the 320-metre bridge will continue into 2023.

On Wednesday night, the first piece of the 100-metre high Sky Deck at the Queen’s Wharf casino complex was lifted into place in a five-hour operation.

It was the first of three pieces that will link the four towers included in the casino and resort development in an arc that allows views over Moreton Bay.