Bennelong Bridge

The Bennelong Bridge is a 330-metre-long (1,080 ft) vehicular bridge across Homebush Bay between the Sydney suburbs of Rhodes and Wentworth Point. It opened on 22 May 2016.

Bennelong Bridge
Bennelong Bridge, from the walkway looking west towards Wentworth Point.
Coordinates33°49′39″S 151°04′54″E
Carries (Motor vehicles excluded)
CrossesHomebush Bay
LocaleSydney, New South Wales, Australia
BeginsRhodes (east)
EndsWentworth Point (west)
Named forBennelong
Maintained byRoads & Maritime Services
Characteristics
Total length330 metres (1,080 ft)
History
Construction start1 September 2014
Opened22 May 2016
Location

History

Construction of the Bennelong Bridge was approved by the Government of New South Wales in March 2013 with construction commencing in September 2014.

Linking Rhodes and Wentworth Point, the bridge was the vision of Billbergia's John Kinsella and Wentworth Point Marina's urban designers and architects, designed to transform these two precincts into a vibrant community. As a designated T-Way,[1][2][3][4] the bridge is the first in the Sydney region to exclude private vehicles, exclusively carrying State Transit Authority bus routes 526, 533, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles (a similar bridges already exists in Brisbane, the Eleanor Schonell Bridge, which opened in 2006). It also has the capacity to carry a future extension of the Parramatta Light Rail.[5]

Bennelong Bridge is the first bridge to be funded entirely by property developers in return for additional development density at Wentworth Point under a Voluntary Planning Agreement between the developers and the Roads & Maritime Services.[1] Initially known as the Homebush Bay Bridge, it was named Bennelong Bridge after the historic indigenous river resident Bennelong.

It was inaugurated on 22 May 2016 and opened to traffic on 23 May 2016.[6][7] Local state MPs John Sidoti and Luke Foley officially opened the bridge.[5]

Despite the bridge being restricted to foot traffic and public bus routes, there have been reports of private vehicles illegally using the bridge as a shortcut. To combat this, a bus lane camera was installed in November 2016 whereby motorists illegally using the bridge are fined and gain a demerit point.[8]

  • Looking towards Wentworth Point skyline
  • Bennelong Bridge eastern entrance, with T-Way signs.
  • The bridge under construction.

See also

References
  1. Homebush Bay Bridge City of Canada Bay
  2. Project details and statistics Homebush Bay Bridge
  3. Rhodes new ferry wharf and interchange Roads & Maritime Services
  4. Work on Rhodes-Wentworth Point bridge begins Domain Group 1 September 2014
  5. "$63m Bennelong Bridge Opens, Links Wentworth Point and Rhodes". The Urban Developer. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  6. Bridge set for May 2016 opening Homebush Bay Bridge
  7. Construction News Homebush Bay Bridge
  8. O'Rourke, Jim (1 November 2016). "A camera has been set up to catch drivers sneaking across the Bennelong Bridge between Wentworth Point and Rhodes". Inner West Courier. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
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