New Farm RiverWalk Opening Span, Brisbane, Australia

Currently under construction, New Farm RiverWalk will be one of Brisbane City Council’s key River links, connecting New Farm and the Brisbane city centre. The RiverWalk will replace the original floating walkway which was constructed in 2003 but later damaged and partially washed away during Brisbane 2011 floods. The original floating walkway was a popular commuter link used by over 3,000 cyclists, pedestrians and runners daily, numbers which are expected to increase once its replacement is completed.

This paper focuses on the objectives and key factors considered during the development of the design for the Opening Span which is part of the replacement and connects Merther Road and the main RiverWalk structure. Details about the main structure and wider aspects of the project are presented in the 5th International Footbridges Conference paper for New Farm RiverWalk Replacement Project.

The opening options considered include type of the moveable span, the constructability of the span, ist resilience to flood and vessel impact, visual impacts on local community, and operational safety for such a busy crossing. The key design criteria included flood resilience, vessel impact, and maintenance certainty and reliability. Completion of the opening span link is expected mid-2014.