Brisbane’s newest over-river connection between South Bank and the CBD has reached a significant milestone, with final steelworks now installed.
The Neville Bonner Bridge, designed by Grimshaw with WSP, has touched down at Queen’s Wharf in Brisbane to improve the city’s connectivity and accessibility ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
Following two years of construction, the final deck section of the 320-metre pedestrian bridge was installed, making 27 February the official completion date.
The Neville Bonner Bridge was named after Australia’s first federal Indigenous parliamentarian, and it has already become an important cross-river connection linking the South Bank arts precinct with the future Queen’s Wharf precinct.
The bridge completion marks a milestone in the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf development, which is expected to open later this year. The bridge itself is likely to open around July or August 2023 following the installation of lights, pavers and shades.
Render of Neville Bonner Bridge, Brisbane’s most recent over-river crossing between South Bank and the CBD.
Image: Grimshaw
The sweeping bridge, designed to be “lightweight yet dramatic”, peaks at 75 metres above the river and is made from more than 1,000 tonnes of fabricated structural steel. Grimshaw said the design was influenced by the surrounding parklands context, with the structure engineered to create an “elegant and efficient outcome”.
“Shaped as an elegant and sinuous ribbon reaching out from South Bank towards the city centre of Brisbane, the carefully composed hybrid mast and arch design achieves a lightweight yet dramatic form which serves as an elegant landmark for the Neville Bonner Bridge,” said Grimshaw partner Neil Stonell.
A suspended deck is designed to offer views over the river, city and parkland while providing protection from the subtropical sun.
Consortium partner Star Entertainment has forecast the bridge will accommodate 10,000 pedestrian crossings per day when it opens to the public as part of the precinct-wide staged opening later this year.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
