The Story Bridge will be shut to traffic twice in three days this week, once for fun and once for a protest.
On Sunday (June 1), the Story Bridge will close between 4am and 11am for the Brisbane Marathon, but before that, protesters will shut down access Friday morning during peak hour.
Brisbane City Council Infrastructure Chair Andrew Wines said cycling activists would stage an unauthorised protest at 8am on Friday, despite concerns raised by Queensland Police and Council.
Cr Wines said the protestors were trying to force the closure of a lane of Story Bridge to traffic so it could be used by cyclists and pedestrians while work was underway to repair the bridge footpaths.
“However, the chaos this protest will cause will just prove the point that it’s simply not practical to close traffic lanes on the Story Bridge for the benefit of cyclists,” he said.
Cr Wines said expert analysis by Council found two lanes would need to be closed to allow for cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross the bridge.
“This would cause daily traffic chaos not just on Story Bridge but on the Riverside Expressway, the Inner City Bypass, Wynnum Road, Gympie Road and Stanley and Vulture streets as well as other roads across the network.”
He said Council was working to ensure the footpaths were reopened within months.
“Meanwhile, a detour is in place for cyclists and pedestrians using the new Kangaroo Point Bridge.
“There’s also frequent CityCat and KittyKat services available that link Kangaroo Point to the city and Howard Smith Wharves.”
