Olympic-sized cost for Games city’s bridge revealed
The cost of restoring an Olympic city’s landmark bridge has been revealed by Australia’s largest council in a bid to make the aging structure ready for the Games.
Brisbane City Council has said the 86-year-old Story Bridge will need $1.35 billion in repairs by 2032, prompting a request for funding from the federal and state government.
It is part of a 20-year renovation plan expected to cost $3.6 billion, on par with the price of the controversial Brisbane 2032 main stadium at Victoria Park.
Brisbane Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council wanted to share funds with the state and federal governments, with the federal governments contributing 80 per cent.
Mr Schrinner refused to impose a toll on the bridge for the first time since 1947 to help fund repairs, insisting that relevant governments would come to the party.
The mayor said he had already had “positive discussions” with Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and had written to federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King.
“We are confident that all three levels of government will support the renovation of the Story Bridge and that the bridge will be in top condition for the 2032 Games and beyond,” Mr. Schrinner said.
“What we’re asking for isn’t unreasonable.”
The council allocated $135 million to replace the bridge in the budget presented by Mr. Schrinner on Wednesday.
The Story Bridge Renovation Progress Update was released as part of the budget, estimating the major costs required to restore the structure for 2032 and beyond.
The council said the draft business case will be submitted to the federal government by August.
The progress update said the $3.6 billion price tag for the 20-year replacement project would be far less than the full bridge demolition and replacement, which it estimates would cost at least $9.3 billion.
After five years of construction, Story Bridge opened in 1940 and handled fewer than 10,000 daily trips.
The iconic structure now carries more than 100,000 vehicles a day, and traffic skyrockets during the Games.
“It was built to last 100 years, and the business case is for it to last a century or more,” Mr. Schrinner said.
Brisbane City Council, Australia’s largest with a population of about 1.3 million, announced a $3.9 billion 2026-27 budget on Wednesday, with a $196 million surplus and no new borrowing.
Average interest rates will rise by 3.97 per cent (or $1.22 per week) this financial year, but this rate is below inflation and lower than in Queensland’s other south-east local government areas.
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