Tasman Bridge

Tasman Bridge
Coordinates	42°51′54″S 147°20′33″E / 42.86500°S 147.34250°E / -42.86500; 147.34250
Carries	Tasman Highway
Crosses	River Derwent
Locale	Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Maintained by	Department of State Growth
Characteristics
Design	Prestressed concrete girder bridge
Total length	1,395 metres (4,577 ft)
Width	17.5 metres (57 ft)
Height	60.5 metres (198 ft)
Longest span	95 metres (312 ft)
Clearance below	46 metres (151 ft)
No. of lanes	5
History
Constructed by	Reed & Mallik
Fabrication by	Braithwaite & Co.
Construction start	May 1960; 64 years ago (1960-05)
Construction end	23 December 1964; 59 years ago (1964-12-23)
Opened	18 August 1964; 59 years ago (1964-08-18) (2 lanes) 23 December 1964; 59 years ago (1964-12-23) (4 lanes) 18 March 1965; 59 years ago (1965-03-18) (official) 8 October 1977; 46 years ago (1977-10-08) (reopened)
Statistics
Daily traffic	73,029 (May 2019)[1]
Location

The Tasman Bridge is a prestressed concrete girder bridge connecting the Tasman Highway over the River Derwent in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. When it opened on 29 March 1965, the Tasman was the longest prestressed concrete bridge in Australia,^[2] with a total length measuring 1,396 metres (4,580 ft), including approaches.^[3] The bridge provides a vital link between Hobart's city centre on the western shore and the City of Clarence on the eastern shore. Averaging 73,029 vehicle crossings per day, the bridge is the highest volume road section in Tasmania.^[1] It features five lanes of traffic including a central lane equipped for tidal flow operations and separated shared-use walkways on both sides, with ramp upgrades for improved access and cyclists completed in 2010.^[4]

The Tasman Bridge gained national attention following the Tasman Bridge disaster. On 5 January 1975, the bridge was struck by the bulk ore carrier SS Lake Illawarra, bound for EZ Industries' Risdon Zinc Works with a cargo of 10,000 tonnes (9,800 long tons; 11,000 short tons) of zinc concentrate.^[5] It caused two piers and three sections of concrete decking totalling 127 metres (417 ft), to collapse and sink the vessel, resulting in the loss of twelve lives. The disaster split the city in half, forcing commuters living on the eastern shore to make a 50-kilometre (31 mi) round trip to the CBD via the next bridge to the north. The crisis is unique in that no similar analysis of a city divided into two parts could be referenced.^[6] After two-and-a-half years, the Tasman Bridge reopened on 8 October 1977.^[7][8] The Bowen Bridge was subsequently constructed to mitigate any future failure of the Tasman Bridge.

In June 2022, the Tasmanian transport ministry revealed a $130 million investment in the Tasman Bridge, the largest since its 1977 reconstruction. Designed by GHD Group with a target completion date set for 2025, the upgrades encompass wider dedicated paths for cyclists and pedestrians, increased barriers between vehicles and pedestrians, improved lighting and digital signage.^[9][10]