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Beneath Sydney's Anzac Bridge lies a lesser-known landmark that's been dormant for 30 years. The heritage-listed Glebe Island Bridge — once a vital link from the inner west into Pyrmont and the city — has stood idle since 1995 when the larger Anzac Bridge opened. For years, residents on both sides of the harbour have called for the state government to restore and reopen it for pedestrians and cyclists. Balmain resident and architect Andrew Benn passes above the dilapidated swing bridge on his daily commutes into his Pyrmont studio. "I spent many years walking and cycling across the Anzac Bridge, looking down onto the old swing bridge, dreaming up and thinking about its potential," Mr Benn said. It's a question that led to him re-imagining what the historic piece of infrastructure could look like. NSW Greens MP Kobi Shetty has been pushing for the state government to take action and has been circulating a petition that has so far garnered over 1,000 signatures. "Unfortunately, former governments have not really looked after the bridge and looked after its heritage value and the mechanisms to keep it functioning," Ms Shetty said. "When people are walking or riding over the Anzac … you look down and see this fantastic walking and cycling connection that's just not being used, and sort of going to waste." Calls for government action The Balmain MP believes the state government's focus on development in The Bays precinct — 2 kilometres west of the CBD — should also include revitalising a relic of the city's industrial heritage. A major part of the urban renewal in the area is Sydney's new Fish Market which is set to open in January. Once opened it will eventually see new regular ferry services operating from Barangaroo to Blackwattle Bay, requiring the bridge to be kept open so the larger ferries can pass through. While Ms Shetty welcomes the new Fish Market, she said the government must prioritise a solution to preserve the Glebe Island Bridge. "I want to make sure while we're encouraging public transport that we're not stymieing the ability for that [Glebe Island Bridge] to become an active transport link as well," she said. "We don't know exactly what the [ferry] frequency is going to look like or what kind of vessel it's going to be but it will need to pass through." The Minns government is also mulling over the future of Sydney Harbour's last operating port on Glebe Island as it considers whether new housing can be developed in the area. A new contemporary design Mr Benn has put forward his own hybrid proposal which he believes could provide the best of both worlds. The contemporary design involves a higher pedestrian bridge that would arch over the existing heritage bridge and include cycling lanes as well as green spaces. "It's effectively like a hybrid that would be used for cyclists and pedestrians," he said. Mr Benn said renewing old infrastructure has proven hugely successful in other major cities, and he pointed to The High Line in New York, a public walkway built on an old, elevated rail line. "The most well-known is New York City's High Line that's now become this huge sort of beacon for tourism," he said. While the Glebe Island Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Sydney Harbour it is unlike the nearby Pyrmont Bridge that is still operational. The president of The Glebe Society, Duncan Leys, said the community had been waiting for too long, with successive governments making various promises. "Whatever the outcome, the bridge needs to be restored to working condition and then they can work out how it might be deployed if you like for the community to use," Mr Leys said. "It's a significant cultural item in the sense that it's industrial heritage — and we have little or nothing of that in the harbour now, as housing has taken the place of a lot of those former industrial sites." A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said it was "undertaking investigative works on and around Glebe Island Bridge as part of its long-term management" and to help decide "the proposed future use" of the bridge. "While the project is currently unfunded for delivery, work is progressing towards finalising a detailed business case to support future investment decisions."
