Kangaroo Point bridge a step closer to opening as final piece of deck slots into place

It is now possible to walk across the new Kangaroo Point bridge spanning the Brisbane River, as long as you’re wearing a hard hat and are part of the right construction crew.

On Saturday morning, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner celebrated this week’s installation of the final span of the 182.7-metre bridge’s deck.

View from the top: The final span of the Kangaroo Point Bridge in Brisbane has been installed. Credit: Brisbane City Council

“A bridge linking Kangaroo Point to Brisbane’s city has been talked about for decades, and our council is delivering it,” he said.

The installation meant the bridge, jointly funded by Brisbane City Council and the federal government, is now about 85 per cent complete.

That includes the eye-catching stay cables supporting the span.

The 100-tonne, 25-metre final span was craned into place from a barge on Monday, before being secured in place.

The final span is manoeuvred into place on Monday.Credit: Brisbane City Council

“I’m sure many Brisbane residents and tourists have been watching the construction of this bridge with anticipation, and this final bridge span going in is an exciting milestone,” federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said.

“Once open, the bridge will feature viewing platforms on either side, providing extraordinary 360-degree cityscape views.”

But there is still a lot of work to be done before it opens to pedestrians and cyclists this year.

That includes concreting the bridge deck, installing balustrades, seating and lighting, and building a covered pedestrian walkway, topped with solar panels to help power the bridge.

At the Kangaroo Point landing, installation of a lift from CT White Park to the bridge deck has begun, as has the construction of stairs to Scott Street.

And a restaurant on the bridge is also taking shape – steel framework has been installed and the roof is almost complete.

On the CBD side, work on a riverside cafe and a landing plaza are well underway.

The council said the Kangaroo Point Bridge project had so far created more than 1400 construction jobs.

Once completed, the as-yet-unnamed bridge will be the second pedestrian and cycle bridge to open in Brisbane this year.

In February, the $60 million Breakfast Creek Green Bridge, also known as Yowoggera, opened to pedestrians and cyclists.

Going into the 2020 council election, Schrinner promised five green bridges – for exclusive use by pedestrians and cyclists – between Kangaroo Point and the CBD, Toowong and West End, St Lucia and West End, and Bellbowrie and Wacol, along with the Breakfast Creek bridge.

The Bellbowrie-Wacol bridge was scrapped less than three months after the election, while the Toowong-West End and St Lucia-West End projects were indefinitely delayed as part of Schrinner’s belt-tightening last year.