It’s the linchpin that has connected Sydney’s city centre to the inner west for more than a century.
But the strain of old age, its watery location spanning Cockle Bay, and 6 million pedestrian and bike crossings a year have necessitated a multimillion-dollar upgrade for the historic Pyrmont Bridge, which will coincide with plans for more intensive development around the western harbour.
The NSW government will spend $59.8 million over the next 10 years to refurbish the state heritage-listed bridge and maintain the structure as a critical active transport route in and out of the CBD.
Planning and Public Spaces Minister Paul Scully said the 123-year-old structure, which is one of the world’s oldest surviving electrically operated swing span bridges, desperately needed restoration.
“Pyrmont Bridge has been an iconic part of Sydney’s history since 1902 and this investment will make crucial repairs so it can continue to be used by 16,000 pedestrians and cyclists daily.