Re-imagining Glebe Island Bridge / by Tom Oliver Payne

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I remember as a kid, Mum’s car would sit idling in traffic as the Glebe Island Bridge sat cantilevered open for boats to pass through. I’d sit fixated on the construction of the monstrous pylons next door that would soon become the Anzac Bridge.

Anzac has since become iconic - serving in films and commercials and becoming a much-loved part of the city’s skyline. But it’s limited by its own height. Cars are suited to grade separation and steep inclines, but pedestrians and cyclists move better closer to the ground plane.

Glebe Island Bridge has sat a disused relic. But imagine it was re-instated: connecting cyclists and pedestrians across one of our harbour’s most loved Bays. One of Australia’s last swing bridges, its historical significance is physical - but it’s also deeply rooted to Sydney’s cultural identity. Particularly that of the inner west.

Excited that these two beautiful bridges could one day operate side-by-side.

(Image courtesy NewCorp)