Albert Cotter Bridge

The Albert Cotter Bridge, also known as the Tibby Cotter bridge, is a pedestrian bridge across Anzac Parade, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was built primarily to cater for crowds exiting the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Football Stadium.

Albert Cotter Bridge
Coordinates33°53′24″S 151°13′14″E
CarriesPedestrian and Bicycle traffic
CrossesAnzac Parade
LocaleMoore Park, New South Wales, Australia
Official nameAlbert 'Tibby' Cotter Walkway
Named forTibby Cotter
Maintained byTransport for NSW
Characteristics
DesignHelical approach ramps and a superstructure formed using two slender curved steel box beams
MaterialConcrete
Total length440 metres (1,440 ft)
Width6 metres (20 ft)
History
ArchitectArup
Constructed byLendlease
Construction costA$38 million[1]
Opened27 February 2015 (2015-02-27)
Location

History

Construction on the Albert Cotter Bridge commenced in 2014. It was opened in time for the 2015 Cricket World Cup. It was named after Albert "Tibby" Cotter, an Australian Test cricket player killed in World War I. It is a shared pedestrian and cycle pathway. The 440-metre-long (1,440 ft) bridge features concrete helical approach ramps and a superstructure formed using two curved steel box beams.[2][3]

The bridge's construction was criticised by the Auditor-General of New South Wales finding that the tight construction timeline significantly added A$25 million to its cost.[4][5][6] Additional criticism was raised by the Heritage Council of New South Wales due to the relocation of a monument on Anzac Parade and cycling lobby groups as the walkway does not connect with existing cycleways.[7]

Criticism

Since its opening, the design of the Albert Cotter bridge has been heavily criticised by pedestrians. It has been described as a "white elephant" for its inappropriate positioning. Because the helical approach forces pedestrians to walk 440 metres to travel about 200 metres, it has also been called "the worst", and "a dumb bridge because it goes around in a big circle".[8]

References
  1. Saulwick, Jacob (8 July 2015). "The Tibby Cotter Walkway to the SCG: a bargain at $1700 a trip". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  2. "Shared path bridge over Anzac Parade at Moore Park" (PDF). Roads & Maritime Services. March 2014. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. "Albert 'Tibby' Cotter Walkway". Arup. 2015. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  4. "Albert 'Tibby' Cotter Walkway". Auditor-General of New South Wales. 17 September 2015.
  5. McNally, Lucy (17 September 2015). "Albert 'Tibby' Cotter walkway at Sydney's Moore Park never justified, report says". ABC News. Australia.
  6. Saulwick, Jacob (17 September 2015). "Audit condemns Tibby Cotter bridge cost blow-out". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  7. Stace, Sara (February 2015). "Connectivity for the Albert Tibby Cotter Bridge". Bicycle NSW. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  8. Decent, Tom (18 March 2015). "Unimpressed World Cup quarter-final cricket fans belt Albert 'Tibby' Cotter Bridge for six". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
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