The Tasmanian Government this week has endorsed a report from Infrastructure Tasmania to seek funding from the Federal Government for a new four-lane Bridgewater Bridge.
The existing Bridgewater Bridge was built in the 1940s. Its height, mass and width restrictions on vehicles travelling the Midland Highway, requires it to be replaced, the statement adds.
More than $100 million was made available for a new Bridgewater Bridge in the 2004 Federal Budget, however, according to a statement from State Minister for Infrastructure Rene Hidding, the Labour State Government at the time decided the project was no longer a priority.
The proposed new bridge design is estimated to cost about $535 million. Funding for the bridge will be sought through the next five-year round of the Federal Government’s Infrastructure Investment Program.
According to the statement, this will be the most important single transport infrastructure project in Tasmania since the Tasman Bridge was built in the 1960s.
If successful, work on the project is anticipated to start in 2019-20.