Australia’s A$786 Million Bridge Just Replaced Tasmania’s Nearly 80-Year-Old Crossing

Australia’s A$786 Million Bridge Just Replaced Tasmania’s Nearly 80-Year-Old Crossing Chapters: 0:00 The new Bridgewater Bridge changes Tasmania 2:09 The bridge opening and its first traffic 4:26 The convict-built causeway 5:32 A vital freight connection 7:00 Why the old lift span failed 9:15 Replacing the roundabout bottleneck 11:49 The long fight over funding 17:16 An open river and the bridge’s future I explore how Tasmania’s new Bridgewater Bridge replaced a nearly 80-year-old crossing—and why the biggest changes may be happening on the river below. I break down the bridge’s four-lane design, the end of the Granton roundabout bottleneck, and the freight connections linking Hobart with Tasmania’s northern highways and ports. I also look back at the convict-built causeway that still remains beneath the crossing. Then I follow the money and construction: the project’s rising cost, Canberra’s contribution, the deep foundations, the demolition of the old lift span, and the return of boat access toward New Norfolk and the planned regatta.