The Neville Bonner Bridge is a footbridge spanning the Brisbane River in Brisbane, Australia, connecting the incomplete Queen's Wharf precinct in the Brisbane central business district to the South Bank Parklands in South Brisbane.[1] The bridge opened to the public on 28 August 2024.[2]
Neville Bonner Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Bridge under construction in May 2022 | |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | Brisbane River |
| Locale | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Other name(s) | Queen’s Wharf Bridge |
| Named for | Neville Bonner |
| Owner | Queensland Government |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 320 metres (1,050 ft) |
| Height | Mast: 75 metres (246 ft) |
| Longest span | 145 metres (476 ft) |
| No. of spans | 2 |
| Piers in water | 1 |
| Clearance below | 11.4 metres (37 ft) - 12.7 metres (42 ft) from high water level to the bridge deck |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | Grimshaw Architects WSP |
| Constructed by | Fitzgerald Constructions Australia |
| Construction start | March 2020 |
| Opened | 28 August 2024 |
It is named after Neville Bonner, a Queensland politician and Australia's first Indigenous member of the Parliament of Australia.
The design concept for the bridge, by Grimshaw Architects, is an arch and single mast cable-stayed bridge with continuous shading supported by one mid-river pier. A large observation deck is located in the centre of the bridge.[1][3]
Up to 10,000 people are expected to use the bridge every day.[4] Cyclists will not be permitted to use the bridge.[5] The cost for the bridge's construction was estimated in 2019 to be around $100 million.[6] Prior to the official opening in 2024, a preview event for approximately 500 pedestrians was held on 2 September 2023.[7][8]
History
editThe bridge is part of the Queen's Wharf development in the Brisbane central business district. Construction on the bridge had begun by March 2020.[9] During construction in June 2021, the Riverside Expressway was partially closed so that pieces of the bridge could be placed above the road.[10] Close to the banks piles were dug 30 metres into the ground to support the structure, while in the river a depth of 35 metres was reached.[11] The final 10-metre, 20-tonne span was placed on the morning of 27 February 2023.[5]
Design
editThe bridge was designed by Neil Stonell from Grimshaw Architects.[12] The “lightweight yet dramatic” design incorporates 1,000 tonnes of fabricated structural steel, engineered to create an “elegant and efficient outcome”.[13] The cable-stayed bridge is 320 metres (1,050 feet) long.[14] The maximum mast height is 75 metres (246 feet).[11] The clearance for river vessels is 11.4 to 12.7 metres (37 to 42 feet) from high water level to the bridge deck. This is the same height as the Victoria and Captain Cook Bridges. The bridge is fully shaded.
It features two arches, each 60 metres long and weighing 90 tonnes.[4] The walkway is suspended from the arches which reach a height of 30 metres above the river.[4] The majority of the load is placed on the central pier.[15] A piled abutment foundation at Southbank is used to tie back the arches. The bridge has been designed to withstand wind speeds greater than 220 km per hour and to resist a 1 in 2000-year flood event.[15]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b "Revised designs for 'dramatic' Queen's Wharf bridge released". Architecture Media. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ McKay, Jack (28 August 2024). "Brisbane's Neville Bonner Bridge opens to the public from Thursday". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
- ^ "Next Phase of Queen's Wharf Bridge Design Submitted". Brisbane Development. 10 September 2017. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ a b c Read, Cloe (29 November 2021). "Bridge over Brisbane River takes shape even as casino owner may be in troubled water". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ a b Moore, Tony (27 February 2023). "'Iconic and remarkable': Queen's Wharf Brisbane to open for Christmas". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ "Final Neville Bonner Bridge Design Unveiled". Brisbane Development. 31 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ Architects, Grimshaw. "Neville Bonner Bridge first walk welcomes 500 pedestrians for preview experience / GRIMSHAW". grimshaw.global. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "First walk on pedestrian-only Neville Bonner Bridge". Build Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
- ^ "Neville Bonner Bridge to connect two iconic places, now under construction". queenswharfbrisbane.com.au. Destination Brisbane Consortium. 16 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
- ^ O'Flaherty, Antonia (18 June 2021). "Riverside Expressway to close for weekend work on Neville Bonner Bridge". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Piling commences for Brisbane's first river bridge in more than 10 years" (PDF). 14 October 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ "Superstructure takes shape for Brisbane bridge". Bridge Design & Engineering. Hemming Group. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
- ^ Sutherland, Isla (28 February 2023). "Brisbane's newest pedestrian bridge complete". ArchitectureAU. Architecture Media. Retrieved 17 March 2023.
- ^ "StackPath". Grimshaw Architects. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Future climate risks considered when designing Neville Bonner Bridge". WSP. 28 November 2021. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
External links
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Media related to Neville Bonner Bridge at Wikimedia Commons