The narrow pathways on Hobart’s Tasman Bridge have highlighted the need for upgrades to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
An elderly man on a mobility scooter was recently forced to reverse for 15 minutes to let a cargo bike pass on the bridge’s narrow pathway.
The incident involved other cyclists having to lift their bikes around the situation, with one cyclist nearly being hit by a passing truck.
Hobart City councillor Ryan Posselt, who experienced the incident, took to Facebook to express his frustration that the pathways had not yet been widened.
“This gentleman is using the path going one way, and I’m coming down going the other way. The end result is we’ve been on the bridge for 15 minutes reversing until we can find a passing spot. And I’m not even convinced we can pass until we get to the very bottom. This is ridiculous,” Ryan shared.
The state and federal governments have committed $130m to upgrade the bridge’s pathways, but construction has not yet started.
State Growth, who manage the bridge, say the project involves significant technical investigations and a dedicated project team is working on the planning and design of the upgrades.
