GREEN BRIDGES SET FOR BRISBANE

Work is now set to begin on the Kangaroo Point and Breakfast Creek green bridges in Brisbane, following the lodging of plans for the projects.

Set to be finished by the end of the 2023, the $190-million Kangaroo Point green bridge will begin construction first, subject to community feedback and approvals. Development plans lodged this month show the new 6.8m-wide bridge will link the inner-city suburb of Kangaroo Point with Brisbane's City Botanic Gardens.

The project is part of the council’s $550-million commitment to build five green bridges across the city during the next 10 years. Green bridges accommodate pedestrian and cycle traffic, and are designed to reduce the number of motor vehicles using roads.

The council's plan include bridges at Breakfast Creek, Toowong to West End, St Lucia to West End, and the now-scrapped Bellbowrie-Wacol green bridge. The Bellbowrie bridge project was cancelled after community consultation with the Pullenvale and Jamboree Wards mid-last year.

While the city is yet to announce a new location for the scrapped bridge, the council's proposed bridge options to West End have stirred local community concern due to the potential resumption of private homes.

The preferred alignments and locations for two of the bridges, Toowong to West End and St Lucia to West End, are currently open to public comment. The community consultation period ends on March 31.

The Breakfast Creek green bridge will connect Brisbane's northern suburbs with the CBD. The Kangaroo green bridge concept, developed by Arup, Cox Architecture and the council, will include separate cycling and pedestrian lanes. It will stretch from the corner of Alice and Edward streets in the city to Scott Street at Kangaroo Point. Such a bridge was proposed in the 1860s and a design developed by 1890, but never built.

The council says the Kangaroo Point bridge is expected to accommodate 5400 daily trips and take 83,690 cars off the road annually.

Images via the Urban Developer.