Four-lane design unveiled for Bribie Bridge upgrade

The Queensland Government has released the preferred design for the new Bribie Island Bridge, marking the next step in planning a future-ready connection between Bribie Island and the mainland.

The preferred design includes a new four-lane traffic bridge immediately north of the existing Bribie Island Bridge, along with improvements to bridge approaches and local intersections.

The existing bridge would be repurposed as a lifestyle bridge between Bribie Island and the mainland for pedestrians, cyclists and mobility device users.

This doubles capacity from earlier planning, which was for a new two-lane bridge with integrated active transport, while the existing bridge would continue to carry westbound traffic.

An artist’s impression of the preferred design that shows the new four-lane traffic bridge alongside the existing bridge.

The updated design was informed by community feedback, site investigations, traffic modelling and additional assessments, which identified opportunities to deliver more for the City of Moreton Bay region.

Justin Valks, Acting Regional Director North Coast, Transport and Main Roads, said community feedback had played an important part in developing the preferred design.

“More than 4,000 submissions from the community have been taken on board alongside information from our technical investigations to come up with this option,” he said.

“We’re seeking further feedback from the community over the coming month, then following that, we’re keen to crack on with design refinements.”

The region is currently home to about 485,000 people but the number of residents is expected to increase by more than 300,000 by 2046, requiring infrastructure planning that accommodates the needs of a significantly larger population.

Bribie Island itself is a big draw to the area. The 820,000 people who visit the island each year make up 18 per cent of the approximately 4.2 million annual visitors to the City of Moreton Bay.

Geotechnical works are currently underway to provide information about ground and seabed conditions, which will help refine the design and inform environmental assessments, construction methods and approvals.

The new bridge will be up to 4 metres higher than the existing bridge, with pelican perches overhanging the water.

Environmental investigations are also underway to identify sensitive environmental values and inform the design, considering the marine park, Pumicestone Passage, habitats, flora and fauna, water quality and cultural heritage.

Earlier consultation on the project found safety, reliability, emergency access, congestion, active transport connectivity, environmental protection and future-proofing were the priority issues for respondents.

Mr Valks said a key feature of the preferred design was retention of the existing bridge as a dedicated active transport connection.

“Separating active transport users from traffic on the new four-lane bridge is intended to improve safety, accessibility and connectivity between Bribie Island and the mainland.”

Community consultation on the preferred design opened on Sunday 18 October 2026. Residents, businesses and stakeholders have until Friday 27 November 2026 to provide feedback on the design and what they would like incorporated into the future active transport bridge.

Community information sessions will be held over the coming weeks to give stakeholders an opportunity to meet the project team and learn more about the upgrade.

Construction is anticipated to start in 2028, subject to design development, procurement and environmental and statutory approvals.

To learn more about the preferred design for the new Bribie Island Bridge, go to Transport and Main Roads’ (TMR) project page. To provide feedback on the preferred design, go to TMR’s Have Your Say page.

Last updated:

28 October 2026