Kurilpa Bridge, Pedestrian bridge in Brisbane, Australia
Kurilpa Bridge is a 470-metre steel pedestrian and bicycle bridge over the Brisbane River, linking Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane with Tank Street in the central business district. Its deck runs on 18 steel decks and 72 precast concrete slabs, carried by 20 steel masts and 16 horizontal spars, with a continuous all-weather canopy along the full length and two viewing platforms.
A sod-turning ceremony at Kurilpa Park on 12 December 2007 marked the start of work; Baulderstone built the bridge with Cox Rayner Architects and Arup Engineers. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh opened it on 4 October 2009. In 2011 it was named World Transport Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival.
A public naming competition closed on 23 November 2008, and the winning entry came from Shane Spargo of Nundah, Queensland. Kurilpa is the Aboriginal word for the South Brisbane and West End area, meaning 'place for water rats'. The bridge was originally known as the Tank Street Bridge.
The bridge is freely accessible with a level surface that is easy to traverse with strollers and mobility aids. A continuous canopy protects you from rain, and several rest areas let you pause and take in the surroundings at your own pace.
The bridge uses an advanced tensegrity cable system that makes it the largest of its kind globally. This engineering approach creates a slender structure that spans elegantly across the river without needing thick support columns.
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