The Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge, the first of the Council’s planned five green bridges to be built across the Brisbane River, has moved a step closer to completion with the release of their preliminary business case.
Lord Mayor Schrinner confirmed that based on the preliminary business case, the Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge, linking Kangaroo Point and the CBD, is feasible.
“The preliminary business case for the Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge confirms the project is a feasible, value-for-money investment in our transport network,” Lord Mayor Schrinner said.
“The bridge will provide significant benefits for Brisbane, including positive impacts to lifestyle, amenity and tourism, and economic benefits resulting from improved accessibility to the CBD, which continues to be the driving force of our region’s economy.”
As revealed in the Key Findings report, the preferred alignment for the proposed pedestrian bridge is from the Alice/Edward Street roundabout to Scott Street, near the abutment of the Story Bridge with an alternate connection between the north east corner of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and Thornton Street.
A bridge linking Kangaroo Point to the CBD was originally proposed in the 1860s but did not come to fruition following a double whammy of 1890s economic recession and 1893 floods.
“Fast forward 150 years and a bridge linking Kangaroo Point and the CBD has re-emerged as a priority, with several recent Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council strategies and plans identifying the potential benefits of a new bridge linking Kangaroo Point and the CBD,” the Key Findings report said.
The Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge, estimated to cost $190 million, is projected to accommodate about 5,300 trips per day, with the number estimated to rise to more than 6,100 by 2036.
Council will invest up to $550-million to deliver these five new green bridges at Kangaroo Point to the CBD, Toowong to West End, St Lucia to West End, Breakfast Creek, and Bellbowrie. The Council plans to fund at least two-thirds of the cost of these green bridges, with contributions for the balance of funding to be sought from the Queensland and Australian Governments.
The next stage of the project planning will involve community consultation slated in late 2019. Construction is expected to commence by 2021 with construction to be completed by 2024.
