Bennelong Bridge

Bennelong Bridge
Bennelong Bridge, from the walkway looking west towards Wentworth Point.
Coordinates	33°49′39″S 151°04′54″E / 33.8274°S 151.0818°E / -33.8274; 151.0818Coordinates: 33°49′39″S 151°04′54″E / 33.8274°S 151.0818°E / -33.8274; 151.0818
Carries	T-Way; cyclists; pedestrians (private motor vehicles excluded)
Crosses	Homebush Bay
Locale	Rhodes Wentworth Point
Named for	Bennelong
Maintained by	Roads & Maritime Services
Characteristics
Total length	330 metres (1,080 ft)
History
Construction start	1 September 2014
Opened	22 May 2016

The Bennelong Bridge is a 330-metre-long (1,080 ft) vehicular bridge across Homebush Bay between the Sydney suburbs of Rhodes and Wentworth Point. It opened on 22 May 2016.

Construction of the Bennelong Bridge was approved by the Government of New South Wales in March 2013 with construction commencing in September 2014.

Linking Rhodes and Wentworth Point, the bridge was the vision of Billbergia's John Kinsella and Wentworth Point Marina's urban designers and architects, designed to transform these two precincts into a vibrant community. As a designated a T-Way, the bridge is the first to exclude private vehicles of its use, exclusively carrying State Transit Authority bus routes 526, 533, cyclists, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. It also has the capacity to carry a future extension of the Parramatta Light Rail.

Bennelong Bridge is the first bridge to be funded entirely by property developers in return for additional development density at Wentworth Point under a Voluntary Planning Agreement between the developers and the Roads & Maritime Services. Initially known as the Homebush Bay Bridge, it was named Bennelong Bridge after the historic indigenous river resident Bennelong.

It was inaugurated on 22 May 2016 and opened to traffic on 23 May 2016. Local state MPs John Sidoti and Luke Foley officially opened the bridge.

Despite the bridge being restricted to foot traffic and public bus routes, there have been reports of private vehicles illegally using the bridge as a shortcut. To combat this, a bus lane camera was installed in November 2016 whereby motorists illegally using the bridge are fined and lose a demerit point.