Competition starts to design new bike ramp for Sydney Harbour Bridge

The New South Wales Government is holding a competition to design a new Sydney Harbour Bridge bike ramp, after the community backed a proposed ramp from Bradfield Park to the existing bridge deck cycleway.

The community will be asked for feedback on three shortlisted architectural designs before a winner is announced later this year.

The brief is for innovative designs that are not only worthy of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, but also respect the heritage of the area, embrace Aboriginal culture and enhance the open space for the Milsons Point community.

Sydney’s Harbour Bridge cycleway is one of the most popular bike routes in the city, with an average of 2,000 cyclists using it each day. Patronage is expected to increase once the ramp is built and cyclists no longer have to carry their bikes up the stairs.

NSW Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said the community will be asked for feedback on three shortlisted architectural designs before a winner is announced later this year.

“We’re after innovative designs that are not only worthy of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge, but also respect the heritage of the area, embrace Aboriginal culture and enhance the open space for the Milsons Point community,” Mr Constance said.

Transport for NSW will continue to engage with residents and community groups as the design process progresses, as well as with Heritage NSW.

Transport for NSW conducted consultation that reached 6,300 people and heard from 2,759 through surveys and submissions. Around 82 per cent voted in favour of the bike ramp, with the majority wanting the linear option over a looped ramp at Milsons Point.

Now that a preferred option has been chosen, a competitive design process via an open Registration of Interest (ROI) will commence. Through this, three architectural design teams with heritage and Connecting with Country expertise will be selected to help Transport for NSW design a linear ramp of the highest calibre.

Later this year, the community will have a chance to comment on the shortlisted designs.

Design and consultation has been undertaken for more than a decade to try to find the best solution to the incredibly challenging problem of both increasing safety for pedestrians and meeting the need for improved cycle access to the bridge – all while protecting and preserving the open space and heritage.

Transport for NSW previously made the decision not to progress with a lift or travellator because they did not solve safety or congestion issues, and reduced the capacity of the existing cycleway.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway runs between Millers Point and Milsons Point along the western side of the Harbour Bridge.

Visit the Sydney Harbour Bridge Cycleway Access Program page for more project information.