For nearly a century, nothing had been added to Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. In a poll from the projects of the week series, readers selected the project that finally changed this: a 170-meter cycling ramp attached to the historic structure. A similar approach is now seen in Moscow’s monorail reconstruction, making the topic relevant beyond Australia.
The bridge, nicknamed the "Coathanger" by locals, was built in 1932. A bike lane has long existed on the western side, but the ascent used to end with a 55-step staircase, forcing cyclists to carry their bikes. Despite this inconvenience, around 1,500 cyclists crossed the bridge daily. Notably, engineer John Bradfield’s original design included a dedicated cycleway, but by 1962 it had been replaced by a traffic lane.
The idea of a ramp has been discussed since 1999, with competitions proposing spiral and linear designs. Local residents opposed construction due to concerns about Bradfield Park at the bridge’s base. Approval for work on the heritage-listed site came only in 2023, with construction beginning in mid-2024. The project cost $ 39 million, and the ramp opened on January 6, 2026.
Collins and Turner designed the architecture, while ASPECT Studios handled the landscape. The 170-meter-long, three-meter-wide route rises from the park to meet the existing cycleway. The ramp is supported by eight oval columns that taper upward. Its concrete and steel are painted in the same grey as the original bridge.
The ramp’s form draws from two inspirations. From the outside, it resembles an aircraft wing, with a central beam that changes width along curves. The asymmetry between the ramp axis and the column grid creates a wave-like line, referencing marine life in the harbor; from above, it reads as a snake. A defining feature is the continuous balustrade made of 1,500 weathered bronze panels, using the same alloy as elements of the Sydney Opera House.
A section of the original 1932 parapet, removed during construction, has been relocated to a plaza as a symbolic starting point of the new route. Along the entire length of the cycleway runs a 170-meter artwork by Jason Wing and Maddison Gibbs: two eels formed from 130,000 granite cobblestones. The stone was sourced from the Moruya quarry, the same used for the bridge’s pylons, continuing the site’s material history. In local Indigenous culture, eels symbolize the transition between saltwater and freshwater. ASPECT Studios describes their approach as "grounded in Country," meaning the infrastructure grows from the place’s history.
The project also revitalized Bradfield Park beneath the ramp, adding a plaza, seating, drinking fountains, and cycling infrastructure. The new ramp completes the route across the harbor—where it once ended at stairs, the bridge can now be crossed seamlessly by bike. This is a rare type of architectural intervention: not a reinterpretation or renovation, but a new addition to heritage that restores its original logic.