Eleanor Schonell Bridge, Brisbane

Infobox Bridge


bridge_name=Eleanor Schonell
official_name=Eleanor Schonell Bridge
locale=Brisbane, Australia
carries=Buses, pedestrians, bicycles.
crosses=Brisbane River
open=17 December 2006
below=
design=Cable-stayed bridge
mainspan=
length=390 metres (1,280 ft)
width=

The Eleanor Schonell Bridge, also known as the Green Bridge, is a 390 metre (1,280 ft) long cable-stayed bridge which crosses the Brisbane River between Dutton Park and the University of Queensland's St Lucia campus. Its deck is 185 metres long, 20 metres wide and around 18 metres above the river's surface. The bridge was opened on December 17 2006, and is the first bridge in Australia exclusively designed for buses, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the first public transport bridge built in Australia since the early 1900s. [ [http://www.brisinst.org.au/resources/spearritt_peter_greenbridge.html Peter Spearritt, 'The Green Bridge', "The Brisbane Line"] ]

The construction of the bridge has included the creation of a new road through Dutton Park, the expansion of Annerley Road, a new bus station for the University of Queensland and the permanent redirection of College Road in St Lucia.

To coincide with the opening, TransLink announced three new bus services which will use the bridge. These services are the 109, 169 and 209. The 109 started operation on 18 December 2006 and links UQ to the city via Annerley Road and the Southeast Busway. The 169 service began in February 2007 and links UQ with Eight Mile Plains and Garden City. The 209 service also began in February 2007. It links UQ with Carindale.

The fourth service, the 139, was introduced in July 2007 in order to address overcrowding issues on the 169 and on Mains Road services from the Griffith University Busway Station, and links UQ with Sunnybank and Sunnybank Hills. The 139 only operates on weekdays during University semesters.

The fifth service, the 192, was announced in October 2008 and is designed to connect the University to West End and Highgate Hill. The 192 is not a new service, rather it is an extension of an older route servicing the West End/Highgate Hill area. It only operates on weekdays.

A related transport infrastructure proposal is the Boggo Road Busway, which would link the Eleanor Schonell Bridge with the Citytrain network at Park Road station and beyond through to the South-East Busway.

Traffic Impact

Morning west-bound and evening east-bound congestion on Coronation Drive has eased since the bridge opening,Fact|date=February 2007 since southside commuters traveling to the UQ's St. Lucia campus can now cycle directly to St. Lucia, or drive to Dutton Park and walk or catch a bus across the bridge. Although southside travelers previously had the option of boarding a cross-river ferry, the bridge has a far greater capacity, average river crossing times have also improved, especially in the off-peak when only one ferry was in use. The popularity of the bridge had initially proven troubling to Translink and the Brisbane City Council, with extra buses having to be put on to cater to the large number of commuters traveling to St. Lucia campus.cite news |title=Additional trips on Eleanor Schonell Bridge services - effective 5 March 2007
url=http://www.translink.com.au/qt/translin.nsf/index/sc_eleanorschonell_extraservices
date=March 1, 2007 |publisher=Queensland Transport |accessdate=2007-03-01]

Once the Boggo road busway is complete, the improved efficiency for the rail/bus interface at Park Road Station will open up the St. Lucia area to even more travelers.

The new route possibilities are not all one-sided, northside commuters now have a fifteen minute cycle along Annerley Road and the Goodwill bridge to the CBD from the UQ side of the bridge.

t Lucia End of Bridge

The road on the bridge loops back on itself after only metres and does not connect to the UQ road network. This was a deliberate measure to ensure that "there will be no through-running bus service connected to the campus or to the suburb of St Lucia".cite news |title=UQ Senate sets out conditions for construction of BCC Green Bridge
url=http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=5024
date=October 10, 2003 |publisher=UQ News |accessdate=2007-03-13]

Naming of the Bridge

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman announced on the 28 August 2006 that the Green Bridge would officially be called the Eleanor Schonell Bridge. An independent panel including Brisbane historian and author Helen Gregory, University of Queensland academic Professor Michael Keniger, Architect Bill Corker from Denton Corker Marshall and a representative from the Lord Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council Milindee Jeewandara produced a short list of three names to Brisbane's Civic Cabinet from hundreds suggested by the public [http://newsroom.brisbane.qld.gov.au/home/news_detail.asp?ID=429] being: Eleanor Schonell Bridge, Hawken Bridge and University Bridge.

Eleanor Schonell made an internationally recognised contribution to testing for dyslexia and was renown for her generous and humane approach to life.

Her work with cerebral palsy children led to international recognition and she also contributed substantially to the education of children with intellectual disabilities. [http://newsroom.brisbane.qld.gov.au/home/news_detail.asp?ID=511]

There was a proposal to name the crossing after Brisbane band The Go-Betweens, following the death of band member Grant McLennan.fact|date=June 2007

During its conception and construction, the bridge was known as the 'Green Bridge' because it was a sustainable transport iniative and since the naming many people have continued to call it the Green Bridge in preference to its official name.

See also

*UQ Lakes Bus Station, Brisbane
*Eastern Busway, Brisbane
*Goodwill Bridge

External links

* [http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD::pc=PC_1723 Green Bridge Project overview]
*
* [http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=561771 Google Earth (Version 4) 3D Model]

References