FAQs

The crossing of the Derwent River between Bridgewater and Granton has a long history. Work to build the causeway started in 1830 and the first bridge connecting the causeway and Bridgewater opened in 1848. The existing Bridgewater Bridge opened in 1946. It’s now 78 years old and reaching the end of its life. It’s becoming unsafe, unreliable and expensive to maintain.

The Australian and Tasmanian governments have committed $786 million to build the new Bridgewater Bridge as part of the Hobart City Deal.

Building a new bridge will mean:

• people travelling on the bridge are safer
• there will be less congestion
• local communities will be better connected
• there will be more local open space
• travel times will be more reliable and consistent
• heavy vehicles will be more efficient and can better support the freight industry
• cyclists and pedestrians will have safer routes
• there will be better river access for boats
• bus transport will be improved
• less ongoing maintenance costs.

Major construction started in late 2022 and the project will be finished in mid-2025.

In mid-2020, the Tasmanian Government agreed on a set of requirements to be incorporated into the design for the new Bridgewater Bridge. The final design meets all the requirements.

• A new river crossing between the Brooker Highway and Midland Highway, including connections to the Lyell Highway.
• A minimum design speed of 80km/h.
• Two lanes in each direction.
• Grade separation of the Lyell Highway Junction at Granton and Black Snake Lane at Granton.
• A minimum airdraft clearance consistent with the navigable clearance under the Bowen Bridge.
• A shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Throw screens and safety barriers.
• A design that doesn’t preclude the future use of the existing rail corridor.

Construction company McConnell Dowell is building the new Bridgewater Bridge.

To help build the new, permanent Bridgewater Bridge, a temporary bridge has been built across the River Derwent.

The temporary bridge allows materials and equipment, such a large cranes and construction vehicles, to move across the river without interrupting traffic on the existing bridge.

The southern section of the temporary bridge is made up of 12 large barges, up to 50 metres long, connected end-to-end and then linked to a steel bridge built from the Bridgewater foreshore.

There is no public access to the temporary bridge, and it will be removed once the new bridge is built.

Have a look at our Construction Sequencing Animation showing how the new bridge is built.

The new Bridgewater Bridge will be a four-lane bridge with new interchanges at Granton and Bridgewater and a safe shared path for cyclists and pedestrians on the upstream side of the bridge.

On the southern side of the river at Granton, traffic will be able to flow freely from the Brooker Highway onto the Lyell Highway towards New Norfolk. A new roundabout will connect to the Black Snake Road underpass and a dedicated slip lane will allow traffic from the Lyell Highway to flow uninterrupted onto the Brooker Highway.

On the northern side of the river at Bridgewater, a ramp will connect Boyer Road onto the new bridge for traffic travelling south, removing the need for traffic to travel back to the East Derwent Highway roundabout before travelling south.

Cyclists and pedestrians have been given a high priority and the new bridge includes a safe three-metre-wide shared path on the upstream side of the bridge.

Yes, the navigation clearance is consistent with the Bowen Bridge.

To facilitate the construction of the new Bridgewater Bridge, the Department of State Growth has ceased operation of the Bridgewater Bridge lifting span.

Vessels under 2.2 metres on an average tide can travel under the existing bridge without the lifting span being opened, as well as under the temporary bridge, when it is safe to do so.

The speed limit on the new bridge will be 80km/h.

Rail isn’t part of the project, but we have made sure that the future use of the rail corridor isn’t prevented.

Including rail as part of the Project isn’t as simple as attaching train lines onto the side of the new bridge. Trains need alignments with shallower slopes, wider curves and different load capacities than roads that are built for cars and trucks.

A purpose-built precast concrete facility has been built in Bridgewater to produce the 1,082 concrete segments needed to make up the 1.2-kilometre deck of the new bridge.

The segments are make using five moulds, with each segment cast against the previous segment. This is called match-casting and ensures that the segments all fit perfectly together to provide the desired shape of the bridge.

After each segment is used to match-cast the next segment, it is relocated to the storage area and the process is repeated to make the 1,082 segments.

Have a look at our Construction Sequencing Animation to see how the precast segments fit together to make the bridge.

There are a total of 46 piles that form the foundations of the new bridge. Because of the variable ground conditions, the depth of the piles range between 30 and 90 metres below the river.

The existing Bridgewater Bridge was built in 1946 and is the fourth bridge at the crossing point between Bridgewater and Granton.

Because of the poor condition and growing cost of maintaining the bridge, it will be removed at the end of the project.

Many people have a strong connection to the bridge, and we are working with the community to look at how we can recognise and promote the heritage values of the crossing and the previous four bridges.

The causeway won’t be removed.

To enable the delivery of the New Bridgewater Bridge Project, the Tasmanian Government purchased the property known as the Black Snake Inn.

The boundaries of the property will be amended to remove the areas required for permanent project works and the balance of the property will be returned to the open market at the completion of the project.

The project won’t impact the Black Snake Inn building, other than ensuring it is appropriately maintained.

The Derwent River crossing at Bridgewater is an area with important historic cultural heritage sites and values. The area has a rich heritage that spans back well before the existing bridge was built. As part of the Project, the substantial local heritage, including other historic sites in the area, will be promoted and the history made more accessible to Tasmanians and visitors alike.

While the project doesn't include redevelopment of the Bridgewater foreshore, the project will unlock many opportunities throughout the local area. Brighton Council has developed a master plan for the Bridgewater waterfront and Old Main Road precinct.

Environmental impacts have previously been assessed as low and manageable. Prior to commencing construction in late 2022, a range of investigations were completed to understand the project land’s surrounding environment. Investigation into the area’s ecology, Aboriginal Heritage and Historic Heritage has provided a detailed understanding of the site’s diverse environmental values. This informed the project’s design and construction methodologies as well as environmental management systems. Throughout construction, potential environmental issues are continuing to be closely monitored, triggering further investigation, when needed, to remain responsive to emerging environmental impacts.

As part of the project planning and approval stage, a range of assessments were undertaken to evaluate potential impacts on Aboriginal heritage. This included a review of previously identified sites in the wider area, a field survey and targeted sub-surface investigations by suitably qualified professionals.

Consistent with other works throughout the state, the Aboriginal Heritage Tasmania Unanticipated Discovery Plan is to be followed if previously undetected archaeological sites or objects are located during the course of project works.

The project has undergone an extensive and robust planning assessment process using Tasmania’s Major Projects assessment pathway as part of the Land Use Planning and Approvals Act 1993.

Using the Major Projects pathway allowed for the coordinated assessment of many different approvals at the same time including land use planning, environmental impacts, Aboriginal heritage, historic cultural heritage, TasWater, threatened species and gas pipeline safety.

The Tasmanian Minister for Planning declared the project to be a Major Project in December 2020 and a Major Project permit was granted in May 2022.

As well as the Major Project Permit, the project has also been granted a Parks and Wildlife Service Works Authority for the work being done in the Derwent River.

Construction is supporting more than 1,000 direct and indirect jobs, including the creation of more than 250 new jobs for Tasmanians, delivering an important boost to the local economy. Around one quarter of the new jobs created will be for people from the Brighton, Derwent Valley and Glenorchy municipalities.

Tasmanians make up around 85 per cent of the workforce on the project, with a significant amount of the project’s design and construction activities being delivered through subcontractors with Tasmanian organisations.

Projects of this size and scale are very rarely undertaken in Tasmania, and the State has not delivered a major bridge project since the Bowen Bridge was built in the 1980s. Because of this, no Tasmanian construction companies were eligible to submit proposals to deliver the project.

Many local businesses and suppliers are involved through subcontracts, bringing important local knowledge and expertise to the project.

It is expected that around 85 per cent of the construction work on the project will be delivered through employment of Tasmanians and subcontractor agreements with Tasmanian businesses, who have recruited extra capacity into their organisations.

Building a new Bridgewater Bridge is one of the largest projects in Tasmania’s history. As with any major construction project, there will be disruptions to the local community and the travelling public.

We are working closely with the community to make sure these disruptions are minimal, and any changes are communicated well in advance.

The existing bridge will stay open throughout construction, and safe pedestrian access and access to private properties is being maintained at all times.

Drivers are asked to allow for extra time when planning their journeys, follow the posted speed limit and obey all instructions from traffic controllers.

To keep up to date on any traffic changes, visit our current work page or subscribe to our regular e-newsletter.

Standard construction hours are 7.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday, and 8.00am to 6.00pm on Saturday.

For the safety of the community and to minimise impacts to traffic, pedestrians and cyclists during the day, some work is required outside of standard construction hours.

To take advantage of favourable conditions, and to minimise disruption to the wider community, the project is undertaking out of hours work throughout 2024.

Low impact work, such as oversized truck movements, traffic management changes, concrete deliveries and pours is being carried out from Monday to Sunday between 6pm and 7am.

Mitigation measures are in place for all out of hours work. For example, lighting towers are directed away from residential buildings and plant and machinery is switched off when not in use.

If you have any questions about the project, you can call us on 1800 517 290 or email bridgewaterbridge@stategrowth.tas.gov.au. We send out regular information and project updates. If you would like email updates about the project, you can subscribe to our e-newsletter.