Toowong to West End bridge set to enhance Brisbane’s liveability

Recently released concept designs by Brisbane City Council show plans for two green bridges that will link West End and St Lucia with Toowong. These bridges will be built to make it easier for people to cycle and walk around the city, and elevate the lifestyle of the vibrant communities surrounding the bridges. 

The concept designs for both bridges are open to feedback from the public. Both are pedestrian and cyclist bridges, which will improve the walkability of these inner-city suburbs. With the popular University of Queensland located in St Lucia, this will be especially beneficial to students located in West End and the surrounding suburbs. Toowong is located just a few suburbs from Brisbane’s CBD, improving access to the city for Brisbane residents. 

The Toowong to West End Green Bridge is envisioned as a curved single-mast cable-stay bridge with a length of approximately 280 metres. This bridge has been designed to feature triangular shade clothes along the entire length of the path for pedestrians as well as a green space situated riverside at the Toowong landing. The design shows a widened pathway of up to nine metres around the bridge mast, where there will also be seating and viewing opportunities. Preliminary plans predict that this bridge will carry 3,900 trips per day by 2031 and 5,300 trips per day by 2041. 

The bridge connecting St Lucia to West End is designed to be longer than the first, at around 310 metres. The concept design features a ground anchored, long-span suspension bridge with four masts as well as seating and viewing opportunities positioned as rest points at each end of the bridge. This bridge will connect major points in Brisbane, like the University of Queensland, West End, Highgate Hill and Brisbane CBD. Current plans predict 3,500 trips each day by 2031 and an increase to 4,200 trips per day by 2041.

The concept designs for both of these bridges were prepared by engineering firm GHD along with architecture practice GHD Woodhead, Lat 27 (landscape architecture practice), Wilkinson Eyre (specialist bridge architect) and Cowi (specialist bridge engineer). Adrian Schrinner, Brisbane’s mayor, has called the bridges “city-shaping”, especially in the lead-up to Brisbane hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

These bridges offer a number of benefits to Brisbane residents and the future of the sunny city. Not only will they improve the city’s sustainability initiatives through their green design, they will also enhance accessibility to many popular areas of Brisbane, adding enormous value to residents. 

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