Construction begin 1 September 2014 Total length 330 m | Locale RhodesWentworth Point Opened 22 May 2016 | |
Carries T-Way; cyclists; pedestrians(private motor vehicles excluded) Maintained by Roads & Maritime Services Similar Macquarie Culvert, Silverwater Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge, Rhodes railway station, De Burghs Bridge | ||
Bennelong bridge opening timelapse 22 may 2016
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.
Contents
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 a T-Way, the bridge is the first to exclude private vehicles of its use, exclusively carrying State Transit Authority bus routes 526, 533, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. It also has the capacity to carry a future extension of the Parramatta Light Rail.
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. 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. Local state MPs John Sidoti and Luke Foley officially opened the bridge.
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 lose a demerit point.