The Sydney Harbour Bridge cycleway is due to begin construction in 2023, following a drawn out planning process which saw the proposal initially rejected by local residents.

Spanning 200 metres in length and three metres in width, the ramp will extend from Bradfield Park North to the Harbour Bridge cycleway, mitigating 55 steps which have forced cyclists to stop riding and carry their bikes. 

An environmental review released by Transport for NSW says construction will account for the bulk of the project’s impacts, with a relatively shallow excavation in regards to earthworks and eight metres of barrier to be removed. 

The review conceded that the ramp’s construction will have a minor impact on the bridge’s heritage, but will not affect the bridge’s status as a cultural landmark. A minor to negligible effect on the Burton Street archway and Milsons Point heritage-listed items has been reported. 

North Sydney Council’s position on the design and construction process is yet to be decided, with community consultation to inform its position, while Bicycle NSW believes there is nothing within the report that will delay the construction of the event.

Transport for NSW Deputy Secretary Kiersten Fishburn says community consultation provides an opportunity to smooth over any issues raised by local residents.

“This will make one of the world’s most breathtaking cycling experiences accessible to all, irrespective of age or ability,” she says in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

North Sydney Council had long rejected plans for a ramp, instead being in favour of a lift. A community consultation session in July 2021 ultimately decided the ramp would go ahead. ASPECT Studios and Realm Studios’ design was named the winner of a shortlist created in late 2021.

Aspect Studios’ proposal aims to be quasi-transparent, “with a form that dissolves into air whilst leaving the much loved park largely untouched.”

“(The) infrastructure and movement are combined in a more simple, complementary and intuitive manner, leaving the park open and uncluttered.”

The Realm Studios and Aspect collaborative effort is also precise, utilising a steel structure and deviating from the reference design that was to run across Bradfield Park.

“Our alignment swings further towards Alfred Street, opening up a much larger space between the Bridge and the Cycleway,” a statement in the design report reads.

“Our steel structural solution allows us to support the cycleway on a series of ultra-fine steel columns that start from a single discrete point and spread up to hold the Cycleway.”

The review of environmental factors will be on exhibition until December 19, with construction anticipated to take 18 months.