Story Bridge

The Story Bridge carries traffic over the Brisbane River in one grey steel span, and it has become the shape people draw when they draw Brisbane. It opened in 1940 to a design led by John Bradfield, who had worked on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and it was built largely with Australian steel and labour during a slow economic period. Walking across is free and takes about fifteen minutes, with the river bending below and the city towers on one side. A commercial climb takes small groups up the steelwork to the top chord. From underneath, the Kangaroo Point cliffs give the best view of the whole structure, particularly once the lighting comes on.

History

People petitioned for a bridge between the city and Kangaroo Point as early as 1865, and in the 1920s Professor Roger Hawken's plan for a series of river bridges included one downstream of the Victoria Bridge, sited at Kangaroo Point on the advice of the Cross River Commission in 1926. Built as Depression public works, the bridge was designed by John Bradfield, appointed on 15 December 1933, on the model of the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal; Evans Deakin and Hornibrook won the tender in 1935, Premier William Forgan Smith turned the first sod on 24 May 1935, and the bridge, named after the public servant John Douglas Story, opened in 1940 and was tolled until 1947 (Wikipedia, Story Bridge).

Highlights

• The crossing on foot - a free walkway over the river with views up and down the reach.
• The bridge climb - a guided ascent of the steelwork to the upper chord.
• Kangaroo Point cliffs - the old quarry face beneath the southern approach, best for photographs.
• The night lighting - colour lighting on the steel, visible from the river walks.

When to go

April to October, Brisbane's dry and mild half of the year, suits both the walk and the climb. Summer afternoons are hot and storm-prone, and climbs are cancelled for lightning. Dawn and dusk climbs cost more and book out first. The walkway is open at all hours, and the lighting is worth a late look from the south bank.

Practical notes

The walkway sits right beside heavy traffic, so it is loud and fumey, and the mesh fencing gets in the way of photographs. Both footpaths were shut in March 2025 for repairs to the decking; the city-side path reopened that October while work on the other continued, so check which side is open. The climb is expensive for its length, involves a harness and a briefing, and personal cameras are generally not allowed on the structure. Seen from directly beneath, the bridge is painted grey steel rather than anything elegant.

Nearby

The Kangaroo Point cliffs, the river walk and Fortitude Valley are all adjacent.

Key facts