Tasman Bridge upgrade: Timeline for $130m project blows out amid engineering investigations

Work on a long-awaited upgrade of the Tasman Bridge, including widened pathways and an overall strengthening of the structure, was due to begin last year – but the project has been hit with delays.

Concept designs for the upgrade of the Tasman Bridge. Picture: Supplied

Construction of new pathways on the Tasman Bridge may not begin for another two years, despite the state government’s original timeline for the project indicating that work would be completed by late 2025.

A spokesman for the State Growth Department, which manages the bridge, said the government expected to go to tender for the widening of the pathways early next year and that it was “possible” construction could start in 2025.

It comes after an incident on the bridge earlier this week, which saw an elderly man on a mobility scooter being forced to reverse for 15 minutes in order to let a cargo bike past due to how narrow the pathways were.

Concept designs for the upgrade of the Tasman Bridge. Picture: Supplied

The $130m bridge upgrade, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, will involve not just a widening of the pathways but also strengthening of the bridge, the construction of higher safety barriers and upgraded maintenance infrastructure and installation of new feature and security lighting.

Construction of the new walkways was initially expected to begin in mid-2023 but this did not occur.

A national review of the infrastructure pipeline was undertaken last year, which created a degree of uncertainty about the future of certain projects, including the Tasman Bridge upgrade, which ultimately did not have federal funding axed as a result of the review.

The State Growth spokesman said it was a “very important but complex project” that required “significant engineering investigations”.

Concept designs for the upgrade of the Tasman Bridge. Picture: Supplied

“We have commissioned further extensive engineering investigations to confirm the performance of the bridge under different loads,” he said.

“We need to fully understand what impact widening the pathways will have on the bridge and what additional strengthening would be required to ensure continued safe operation of the bridge.”

The spokesman said the investigation process was anticipated to take up to nine months but the first stage of the project – an upgrade of the bridge’s lane use management system – was under way, with a tender to be released in mid-2024.

Opposition Leader Rebecca White.

Labor leader and infrastructure spokeswoman Rebecca White said delays to the project “shouldn’t come as a surprise to Tasmanians”, who she said had “become used to projects being delivered late, or not at all, after 10 years of a Liberal government”.

“This project is long overdue, and the Liberals need to just get on with it, rather than continually shifting the blame to distract from their own failings,” she said.