Australia is home to many iconic bridges – from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne. Each bridge has its own unique design and construction history. These engineering feats aren’t just aesthetically valuable, they’re integral to transportation for many Australians. But which bridges are the longest, and which one rules them all?

Longest Bridges In Australia: 2024 Edition

It's important to note that 'longest' can be determined in different ways. Some bridges might be longer in total infrastructure length (including all spans and viaducts). At the same time, others might be longer in terms of continuous over-water span. That said, these 7 bridges lord over Australia and connect people from one side to the other over bodies of water.

# 7. Bowen Bridge, TAS

Key facts:

Length: 976 m

Location: Hobart, TAS

Project: Bowen Bridge project

Designed by: Leighton Contractors

We start our list at #7 with the Bown Bridge. This road bridge in Hobart has four lanes that cross the Derwent River in Tasmania, linking the eastern and western shores. It has a 17.3-metre clearance and has 10 spans. The Bowen Bridge was built after the collapse of the Tasman Bridge in 1975. It cost $49 million to construct and was officially opened in 1984.

# 6. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, NSW

Key facts:

Length: 1.149km

Location: Sydney, NSW

Project: Sydney Harbour Bridge and Metropolitan Railway Construction

Designed by: Dorman

After 20 long years of planning and eight years of building, the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened to the public in 1932. It used 95,000 cubic metres of concrete, 17,000 cubic metres of granite, 52,800 tonnes of steelwork and around 6 million rivets and 1400 workers in construction. It sits 130 metres above the water at its highest point, where tourists and climbers look out at the opera house and the city centre and call it ‘The Coathanger,’ after its shape.

# 5. Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, QLD

Key facts:

Length: 1.6 km

Location: Brisbane, QLD

Project: Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge

Designed by: AECOM

The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge, more commonly known as the Gateway Bridge, is a 1.6-kilometre-long bridge connecting the Brisbane suburbs of Murarrie and Eagle Farm. Originally, there was only one bridge connecting these suburbs. Opened in 1968, it cost $92 million to build (which seems cheap by today's standards!).

In 2005, it was announced that they were upgrading the Gateway Bridge by constructing a duplicate to carry only southbound traffic. The duplicate bridge, named the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge, was opened in 2010 and cost $350 million to build (inflation!). The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges (Brisbane residents still call it the Gateway Bridge to this day) carry 108,000 vehicles per day.

# 4. West Gate Bridge, VIC

Key facts:

Length: 2.5 km

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Project: West Gate Bridge project

Designed by: Freeman Fox & Partners

The West Gate Bridge is a vital link that connects Melbourne’s western suburbs to the Central Business District (CBD). The West Gate carries 200,000 vehicles a day, making it one of Australia’s busiest road corridors. Construction began in 1968 and was meant to be completed in 1970, but the bridge's construction had a very speckled history.

On October 15, 1970, a 112-metre span of the bridge collapsed. This caused the deaths of 35 workers, and Freeman Fox & Partners was found guilty of improper structural design. The original contractors, World Services & Construction Pty Ltd, were also found guilty of putting forward inadequate safety margins.

The safety issues and structural problems of the bridge have since been resolved, and the bridge was completed in 1978 and has been in use ever since.

# 3. Houghton Bridge & Ted Smout Memorial Bridge, QLD

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Key facts:

Length: 2.7 km

Location: Brisbane, QLD

Project: Houghton Bridge Duplication

Designed by: JF Hull Holdings, and Albem Operations 

The Houghton and Ted Smout Memorial Bridges are a side-by-side bridgeway allowing vehicles to travel from the Brighton area in South East Queensland to Redcliffe by crossing the Hays Inlet.

Interestingly, Houghton Bridge was built 1.61 metres higher than Hornibrook. Originally, both these bridges were meant to be used in conjunction, but the Hornibrook Bridge was in such poor condition and the repair too costly that it was closed in 1979 and dismantled in 2011. 

The Ted Smout Bridge was made to ease the strain of traffic the Houghton Bridge was experiencing. It was officially opened in 2010, situated 35 metres east of the Houghton Bridge and carries southbound traffic across Brighton. At the same time, the Houghton Bridge carries northbound traffic into Redcliffe.

# 2. The South Road Superway Bridge, SA

Key facts:

Length: 2.8 km

Location: Adelaide, SA

Project: South Road Superway

Designed by: Rizzani de Eccher and Freyssinet

The South Road Superway Bridge is the second longest bridge in Australia and is the first elevated roadway to be built in South Australia. It is a 2.8-kilometre-long elevated roadway that links the suburbs of Regency Park and Cheltenham in Adelaide.

The Superway features over 4.4 kilometres of non-stop motorway lanes and 11 entry/exit ramps. Construction for the Superway began in April 2011 and was completed in early 2014. The Superway was built to reduce congestion and provide a non-stop corridor between the North and South sides.

1. The Macleay Valley Bridge, NSW

Key facts:

Length: 3.2 km

Location: Fredrickton, NSW

Project: The Kempsey Bypass Project

Designed by: Abigroup (now Lend Lease).

And finally topping our list of Australia’s longest bridges is the Macleay Valley Bridge. We know, some of you will go on and say the Bolte Bridge is the longest by a country mile. In the case of the Macleay Valley Bridge, it’s still considered the longest bridge in Australia, per multiple sources.

Bolte Bridge may be the longest in terms of total length (5 km), but this includes the connecting elevated roadways. The significance of the Macleay Valley Bridge lies in its continuous length, especially given that it was designed to bypass a flood-prone region. This extended, uninterrupted span is what often gives it the title of 'longest' in the country.

The Macleay spans the entire floodplain at Frogmore and the Macleay River at Fredrickton, totalling over 3 kilometres in length. It’s part of the Kempsey Bypass Project, the first stage in the approved 40-kilometre highway upgrade from Kempsey to Eungai. The project was 10 years in the making from 2003 to 2013, the bypass alone costing the Australian government $618 million.

The bridge is a 20-minute drive south of Kempsey, NSW, and features three automobile lanes, a shielded footpath and 941 concrete beams. It was built instead of an on-ground road to avoid the seasonal flooding that plagues the farms below.

So, to round up our list of the 7 longest bridges in Australia…

Final Thoughts: Bridging Today for a Connected Tomorrow 

Australia's diversity in its peoples and landscapes is unified by impressive feats of engineering, as the longest bridges we've discussed here show. These architectural wonders have overcome geographical challenges and served as monumental landmarks that echo human determination to make sh*t happen.

From the Macleay Valley Bridge to the Bowen Bridge, each one tells a unique story of a nation's commitment to innovation and progress. Spanning waters, valleys and urban terrains has allowed these bridges to play a pivotal role in bringing communities closer, fostering economic growth and paving the way for a connected tomorrow.

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