Tasman Bridge

Tasman Bridge
Tasman Bridge, Tasmania.jpg
Coordinates42°51′54″S 147°20′33″E / 42.86500°S 147.34250°E / -42.86500; 147.34250
Carries Tasman Highway
CrossesRiver Derwent
LocaleHobart, Tasmania, Australia
Maintained byDepartment of State Growth
Characteristics
DesignPrestressed concrete girder bridge
Total length1,395 metres (4,577 ft)
Width17.5 metres (57 ft)
Height60.5 metres (198 ft)
Longest span95 metres (312 ft)
Clearance below46 metres (151 ft)
No. of lanes5
History
Constructed byReed & Mallik
Fabrication byBraithwaite & Co.
Construction startMay 1960; 64 years ago (1960-05)
Construction end23 December 1964; 59 years ago (1964-12-23)
Opened18 August 1964; 60 years ago (1964-08-18) (2 lanes)
23 December 1964; 59 years ago (1964-12-23) (4 lanes)
18 March 1965; 59 years ago (1965-03-18) (official)
8 October 1977; 47 years ago (1977-10-08) (reopened)
Statistics
Daily traffic73,029 (May 2019)[1]
Location
Map

The Tasman Bridge is a prestressed concrete girder bridge connecting the Tasman Highway over the River Derwent in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. When it opened on 29 March 1965, the Tasman was the longest prestressed concrete bridge in Australia,[2] with a total length measuring 1,396 metres (4,580 ft), including approaches.[3] The bridge provides a vital link between Hobart's city centre on the western shore and the City of Clarence on the eastern shore. Averaging 73,029 vehicle crossings per day, the bridge is the highest volume road section in Tasmania.[1] It features five lanes of traffic including a central lane equipped for tidal flow operations and separated shared-use walkways on both sides, with ramp upgrades for improved access and cyclists completed in 2010.[4]

The Tasman Bridge gained national attention following the Tasman Bridge disaster. On 5 January 1975, the bridge was struck by the bulk ore carrier SS Lake Illawarra, bound for EZ Industries' Risdon Zinc Works with a cargo of 10,000 tonnes (9,800 long tons; 11,000 short tons) of zinc concentrate.[5] It caused two piers and three sections of concrete decking totalling 127 metres (417 ft), to collapse and sink the vessel, resulting in the loss of twelve lives. The disaster split the city in half, forcing commuters living on the eastern shore to make a 50-kilometre (31 mi) round trip to the CBD via the next bridge to the north. The crisis is unique in that no similar analysis of a city divided into two parts could be referenced.[6] After two-and-a-half years, the Tasman Bridge reopened on 8 October 1977.[7][8] The Bowen Bridge was subsequently constructed to mitigate any future failure of the Tasman Bridge.

In June 2022, the Tasmanian transport ministry revealed a $130 million investment in the Tasman Bridge, the largest since its 1977 reconstruction. Designed by GHD Group with a target completion date set for 2025, the upgrades encompass wider dedicated paths for cyclists and pedestrians, increased barriers between vehicles and pedestrians, improved lighting and digital signage.[9][10]

  1. ^ a b Department of State Growth (2019). Department of State Growth Key Arterials Traffic Data Catalogue (PDF). Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  2. ^ Cashion 1965.
  3. ^ Department of Public Works 1965, p. 4.
  4. ^ "Cycling South Tasmania – Tasman Hwy and Bridge". 2010. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Tasmanian Year Book, 2000". Australian Bureau of Statistics. 2002. Retrieved 22 February 2008.
  6. ^ Whelan, Janet; Seaton, Elizabeth; Cunningham Dax, Eric. "Aftermath, the Tasman Bridge Collapse: criminological and sociological observations" (PDF). Australian Institute of Criminology. Canberra: 59.
  7. ^ "Tasman Bridge Disaster". Clarence City Council. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  8. ^ Gwynn, Liz (19 May 2022). "SS Lake Illawarra mapped in 3D as government prepares to upgrade Tasman Bridge". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Designs released for $130m upgrade of Hobart's Tasman Bridge". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  10. ^ Sutherland, Isla (30 June 2022). "Plans released for Hobart bridge refurbishment". Architecture Australia. Retrieved 19 December 2023.