What you should know about The Story Bridge
The Story Bridge is a steel cantilever bridge that spans the Brisbane River. The bridge connects Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley and is part of the Bradfield Highway. It was opened for operation in 1940, 5 years after commencement of construction and is named after a popular public servant, John Douglas Story.
History
The residents of Kangaroo Point had always wanted a bridge between Kangaroo Point and Brisbane CBD. Even when Victoria Bridge was constructed between South Brisbane and North Brisbane, the residents kept on petitioning for another passageway to be constructed from Customs House to Kangaroo Point. This is an area of Brisbane we tend to do a lot of work as you can see from our homepage.
In 1932, the Government of Queensland requested John Bradfield to design a new bridge in Brisbane. In 1933, Bradfield was appointed as a construction engineer. On 30th of April 1935, two Queensland companies, Deakin and Hornibrook Constructions won the tender and commenced building the bridge on 24th of May, 1935. The bridge took 5 years to construct and its opening in July 1940 was one year later than anticipated. At first, the bridge was referred to as Jubilee Bridge but was later renamed after Douglas Story in honour of the man who had vigorously advocated for it.
To recover the cost of building the bridge, toll booths were constructed at the southern end of the Bradfield Highway and a toll of 5 cents (sixpence) was imposed on users of the bridge. In 1947, the toll was scraped. Today, walking and driving across the bridge is free but people who intend to climb the bridge have to pay a fee.
Climb It!
The bridge is a major tourist attraction in the region and attracts thousands of visitors every year. A typical climb starts with taking an alcohol test as you cannot drink and climb. Afterwards, you are briefed for 30 minutes and attached to the static line. Climbing begins at the road level and rises steeply as you gain height. Normally, the climb to the top takes about 2 hours and once you reach the summit, you get to enjoy uninterrupted 360 degrees views of the river, Brisbane City, Moreton Bay Islands and the surrounding mountain ranges. You won’t be able to see South Bank from your location as the river bends around the high rises, so head over that way after your climb. You can find more info at http://www.sbac.net.au/
What Else?
When you descend, you can grab a drink and settle down to award-winning cuisine at the Story Bridge hotel. This legendary hotel is built around the pylons of the iconic bridge and is among the top watering spots in Brisbane. The hotel not only hosts enthusiastic climbers and tourists, it is also a haunt for Australian cricket supporters due to its proximity to the Brisbane Cricket Ground commonly known as the Gabba. Apart from climbing, the Story Bridge and relaxing at the Bridge hotel, you can also enjoy live entertainment at the Brisbane Jazz Club, buy gifts at the Absolutely Fabulous gift shop or abseil from the top of the Kangaroo Point Cliffs.