Residents Call For Long-Overdue Renewal Of Glebe Island Bridge

Locals are calling for a “desperately needed” revival of the heritage-listened Glebe Island Bridge, with hopes to reconnect the Inner West to the city for walkers and cyclists.

Once a vital passage between the Inner West and the city centre through Pyrmont, the Glebe Island Bridge currently stands unused directly beneath the larger Anzac Bridge, which opened in 1995.

A popular topic on both sides of the bridge, the urgent need to restore this bridge has been heavily debated over the years, with many hoping for an accessible pedestrian and cycling path.

Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore support this call, saying,“The City of Sydney has long advocated for the restoration of the Glebe Island Bridge as a direct walking and cycling link between Bays West and central Sydney.”

“This would unlock local connections to open space, community facilities and future schools on both sides of the bridge.”

The Glebe Society president, Duncan Leys, said it has been too long for the community, with successive governments making false promises, telling ABC News, “Whatever the outcome, the bridge needs to be restored to working condition and then they can work out how it might be deployed, if you like, for the community to use.”

 Bridge is currently ‘under investigation’

As one of the oldest bridges in Sydney Harbour, the Glebe Island Bridge is under investigation by Transport for NSW to assess its condition.

Transport for NSW told City Hub it is “undertaking investigative work on and around Glebe Island Bridge as part of its long-term management,” running from 8 to 28 October on weekdays, 7 am–6 pm.

“The bridge is significantly deteriorated due to its age, structural materials, and the corrosive nature of being in the water,” they said  

The agency “will be inspecting components of Glebe Island Bridge, both approach embankments and spans of the bridge, as well as the road bridge over James Craig Road.”

“Transport for NSW does not anticipate negative impacts to community and maritime stakeholders during this time.”

“It’s a significant cultural item in the sense that it’s industrial heritage — and we have little or nothing of that in the harbour now, as housing has taken the place of a lot of those former industrial sites,” Leys said.

Balmain MP calls for government action

Local NSW Greens MP Kobi Shetty also wants to see the historic structure reopened to pedestrians.

“Locals are tired of waiting and want to see action, not more delays or excuses,” the Greens MP told City Hub last month. “The Government needs to prioritise this project now, not leave our community waiting until 2030.”

 Shetty lodged a petition that gathered 1,000 signatures, calling on the state government to commit funding and a timetable to reopen the bridge to pedestrians.

 As the new Sydney Fish Market unveils, a new regular ferry services operating from Barangaroo to Blackwattle Bay will be needed — mainly through the bridge — to carry larger ferry traffic flow. 

“The Glebe Island Bridge is a missing link that would transform how people move between Rozelle and Pyrmont. A restored bridge would provide a safe, scenic and sustainable alternative to sitting in traffic – making it easier for people to walk or ride into the city and connecting that important part of the harbour foreshore with all the development on the way,” Shetty said.

Pyrmont resident Elizabeth Elenius, whose flat overlooks the decommissioned bridge, is skeptical on whether the bridge is repaired or a taller one is built in its place.

Elenius noted that the Pyrmont Bridge provides a similar example of a swing bridge from its time. Nonetheless, she stressed the need for a link allowing “walkers and cyclists across from Pyrmont” to in future access the revitalised western side of the bay.