What you said about calls for Brisbane to introduce 10 new bridges

Brisbane needs more and more bridges, according to a leading architect, but not everyone agrees. HAVE YOUR SAY

A senior architect and town planner says Brisbane will not be a complete city until it gets another 10 bridges.

There are calls for Brisbane to build new bridges, but not everyone is on board with the plan.

Malcolm Middleton, a former State Government architect, said Brisbane will not be a complete city until it gets another 10 bridges.

Brisbane’s winding river gave the city considerable advantages over Sydney and Melbourne for future planning, he said.

However the “fantastically expensive and brilliantly done” metro system will transform the way people move around the harbour city.

“Melbourne is a big grid; you can’t really change the grid. But Brisbane, as a river city, can change itself through the bridges. You can actually stitch the city together in a way that makes it a different city.

“Another 10 bridges in Brisbane would completely change the way the city feels and connects. And it’s not unreasonable to say 10.

“I’ve always said 20. We’ve now got 10, and I think there’s another 10 to go.”

Where? From Highgate Hill to the University of Queensland perhaps. Or from East Brisbane to New Farm. From Park Road Milton to South Brisbane and a bridge somewhere on Kingsford Smith Drive leaping the river to land at Bulimba or Colmslie.

Readers were quick to have their say, with many claiming more bridges was a great idea.

Others, though, expressed concerns if they were no the right type of bridge, while some insisted there are wider issues.

In an online poll about 85 per cent of readers voted that Brisbane needs more bridges.

See what you had to say below and oin the conversation >>>

WHAT YOU SAID

Let's be careful

Margot

Support bridges but not considering cars is a mistake. How many parents spend school days and weekends taking children to school, after school activities and weekend sports events? This is not possible with public transport. How many people take elderly relatives to appointments at medical centres and hospitals? This is not possible with public transport. Great to encourage walkers and cyclists but to ignore the practicalities of getting around what is a large region, is short sighted.

ROBERT

Hey Mr I’m an architect, build 10 new bridges along the Bruce Highway so 4 lanes of traffic can travel the length of Queensland

Boswoz

When I read State Government Architect giving advice on traffic flow, I couldn’t stop laughing.

These cities where he saw so many bridges, did he bother to check out their public transport systems? Therein lies Brisbane’s biggest problem, and the people that “have to use their cars”.

Mary

we have to use our cars because public transport routes are woeful

Build bridges

Ted

Wasted $$$$ putting in ridiculous ‘foot’ bridges! Should have been ‘real’ bridges with foot/bike lanes

philip

Brisbane needs more cars bridges. Simple. Especially in the western suburbs.

Graham

The new bridges need to take cars and be toll free if they are going to help congestion on our suburban roads.

Glenn

I agree that more bridges are needed but they must cater for all vehicle traffic if our city is to really become a great city.

Middleton points to London and Paris where bridges connect communities of differing social status.

What a mess

Entropy

Popular with those that live nearby and the occasional tourist. We have spent tens of millions of dollars on local indulgences while everyone else just pays for it.

Neville

Any bridge is usually stopped by the unanimous objection by residents at each end. Probably the same ones who growl about the existing ones being congested.

TERESA

Tunnels please. For cars. It is beyond ridiculous how difficult it is to cross the river.

Andrew

No more cars. Trains, yes, but our roads are already choked by cars.

Originally published as What you said about calls for Brisbane to introduce 10 new bridges