Brisbane residents are taking their first steps on the Kangaroo Point Bridge, more than 160 years after the cross-river connection was first proposed.
A partnership between the Australian Government and Brisbane City Council helped realise the more than century-long dream, following 760,000 hours of construction work.
For the first time in Brisbane's history, Kangaroo Point will be directly linked to the city, with the 460-metre bridge set to expected to take 84,000 vehicles off the road each year.
The bridge will reduce walking travel times by up to 50 per cent, cutting the commute between Brisbane's eastern suburbs and the CBD by up to 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes for pedestrians travelling from Kangaroo Point and the Gabba to the CBD.
The Kangaroo Point Bridge is now the tallest bridge in Queensland, with the world's strongest tower crane required to lift its 95-metre mast into place.
A bridge linking Kangaroo Point and the CBD was first proposed in the 1860s, with an initial design for the "Central Bridge" developed by 1890.
Plans to construct the "Central Bridge" were put on hold due to a severe economic recession and the financial devastation of the 1893 floods.
The bridge also featured in the 1926 Cross River Commission Report to help relieve congestion, however, the Story Bridge and William Jolly Bridge were identified as priorities.
Construction of the bridge began in December 2021, with marine works paused for almost six months following the 2022 flood so that equipment could be diverted for the city's biggest-ever rebuild.
More than 1800 people worked on the 1,752-tonne bridge, with 10 barges on the river during peak construction.
The bridge's deck sits across eight spans which are 12.7 metres above the Brisbane River and held up by 32 cables that stretch 3.5 kilometres in total.
The bridge includes two new plazas at C.T. White Park and at the Edward and Alice Street entrance to the City Botanic Gardens.
The C.T. White Park improvements also feature a new elevator, marking a massive improvement in accessibility for Kangaroo Point.
Nearly all materials (97 per cent) were sourced from Australia, with 59 per cent sourced within Brisbane and 33 per cent from south east Queensland.
Fit out of the new above water dining destinations is underway, with operator Tassis Group expected to open Stilts Dining and riverside café, Mulga in early 2025.
The Kangaroo Point Bridge is the second project to be delivered in the Bridges for Brisbane program, following the opening of the Breakfast Creek/Yowogerra Bridge which supports more than 2,500 trips every day.
The Kangaroo Point Bridge is one of the first projects to be delivered under the landmark $1.8 billion South East Queensland City Deal.
The Australian Government and Brisbane City Council partnered to deliver the bridge at a total cost of $288 million.
