Around 12,000 people braved chilly conditions to walk across Hobart’s new Bridgewater Bridge today, enjoying a historic stroll before the structure opens to vehicles on Monday.
The 1.2km bridge will replace the existing 78-year-old steel lift bridge, marking the end of an era for the historic crossing connecting Hobart’s eastern and western shores.
Festivities across the day included a career expo, free food and entertainment at the nearby bridge pre-cast concrete production facility.
Estro Coffee, the viral coffee truck run by Hobart teenager Shalom Devenish, was serving free coffees at the launch party to help beat the chilly weather.
The McDonald’s restaurant next to the northern end of the bridge, locally owned by Mingari+Co, hosted a special bridge party of its own.
They had children’s television characters Bluey and Bingo alongside McDonald’s icon Grimace, while offering $1 cheeseburgers to celebrate the occasion.
Meanwhile on the bridge, Hugo Bladel and his DJ cart, a marching band and Tasmania Devils mascot Rum’un greeted and entertained walkers.
When the bridge opens to traffic on Monday, all four lanes will operate at the full speed limit of 80km/h, with two new permanent speed cameras in operation.
Two Tasmanians who witnessed the opening of the original bridge in 1946 led the official first vehicle crossing today, with Margaret McMaster and Barbara Jones, both in their late nineties, driven across in a vintage 1910 Roadster.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Premier Jeremy Rockliff to cut the ribbon on the new structure, which has been under construction since October 2022.
Premier Rockliff highlighted the significance of the project beyond its physical construction.
“Yes there are four lanes behind us and many tonnes of concrete… but it’s more than that,” he said.
“It’s delivered jobs, it’s delivered skills and it’s delivered something that everyone who’s been involved in can be enormously proud of.”
The project has supported approximately 1,000 jobs during construction, with more than 25% of workers coming from the local area.
Some works remain to be completed, including landscaping, construction of a new roundabout linking Old Main Road and Gunn Street and the removal of the temporary bridge and barges.
Parts of the old bridge will be preserved as an extension of the historic causeway, which was built by 200 convicts nearly two centuries ago.
Once the deteriorated lifting sections of the old bridge are removed, vessels will be able to travel upstream to New Norfolk uninterrupted for the first time since the 1800s.
