Bridgewater Bridge replacement project is ‘in chaos’, says Labor

There is no definite timeline on the completion of the Bridgewater Bridge replacement project, a Senate committee has been told.

IT’S unclear whether the Bridgewater Bridge will be completed by 2024 as promised, a Senate committee has heard.

Earlier this month the Federal Government announced the proposed $576 million bridge would be built by 2024 under the $1.6 billion Hobart City Deal.

However the business case is being revised after Infrastructure Australia raised concerns the project’s huge cost would outweigh the benefits.

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development official Phil McClure told a Senate estimates hearing the department needed to see a revised business case for the bridge before the project was approved.

“It’s fair to say that the concerns that were raised by Infrastructure Australia were some of the concerns that our teams had identified ourselves,” Mr McClure said.

“The next point is predominantly around some more detailed geotechnical work and the Tasmanian Government issued a tender just in the last couple of days to get some detailed work done on the site just to determine what really the options are for a new bridge.

“The main concerns are around what other options there may have been to the one that was presented in the business case.”

STILL A WEAK LINK AFTER 200 YEARS

There is no certainty over the timeline for the replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge. Picture: KIM EISZELE

In response to a question from Tasmanian Labor Senator Carol Brown about whether the bridge would be complete by 2024, Mr McClure said the department did not have “absolute dates”.

“It will probably be mid-2020 before we have a really strong final idea of what the scope of the project will be and the timelines,” he said.

Labor Lyons MHR Brian Mitchell said the project was “in chaos”.

“Frankly nobody knows what is going on,” Mr Mitchell said.

“It’s time for the state and federal Liberals to get serious about Tasmanian infrastructure, work together to fix the business case and get the new bridge built.”

The uncertainty around the bridge project followed revelations the Hobart airport roundabout replacement would likely cost $20 million more than anticipated.

Treasurer Peter Gutwein said it was not uncommon for significant road projects to have a higher cost than predicted.

“The one thing I can assure [Tasmanians] of is ... there is sufficient funding in the envelope to ensure this project is completed,” he said.

Labor’s infrastructure spokesman Shane Broad said the cost blowout for the roundabout was “very concerning”.