About the project
In March 2019 the Tasmanian Government implemented The Tamar Valley Traffic Vision to address congestion and improve safety and travel time reliability in the Launceston and Tamar Valley Road network.
A key part of this vision was a second Kanamaluka/River Tamar crossing between the East and West Tamar Highways that will improve the efficiency of the West Tamar Highway.
The purpose of the second crossing is to improve the travel time reliability and peak traffic efficiency of the West Tamar Highway south of the new crossing, particularly through Riverside, Trevallyn, and York and Brisbane streets.
Although the project is not fully funded, the Tasmanian Government has committed $80 million towards a second Kanamaluka/River Tamar crossing with the Australian Government recently committing a further $20 million for the planning and design of the bridge.
Community consultation April 2025
Community consultation took place in April 2025, closing on Wednesday 23, 2025.
A big thank you to everyone who took part and shared their feedback with us.
A consultation report will be published to this page once available.
Proposed alignments: Find out more about the five options
Five options have been identified as a potential location for the new bridge and in April 2025 we asked the community for their feedback on these locations. View the Five options (PDF 700.7 KB).
These locations were chosen on the basis of engineering assessments including traffic modelling and geotechnical investigations.
The alignments are concept only and do not represent final locations.
Any potential impacts to properties in the vicinity of the alignments will be discussed directly with affected landowners.
Business case
We have developed a business case for the Second Kanamaluka/River Tamar Crossing. The business case assesses five options for the proposed bridge. A copy of the business case is available on the project’s public consultation page.
In February 2024 a business case for the Second Kanamaluka / River Tamar crossing was finalised and submitted to Infrastructure Australia (IA).
IA reviews all nationally significant infrastructure proposals to ensure public funds are used to deliver value for money projects that meet the Australian Government’s economic, social, and environmental goals. IA can then advise the Australian government on which infrastructure projects should be funded for construction as a priority.
The video below shows a visual representation of how the new bridge could look. As shown, the proposed design for the bridge includes a minimum of four lanes for traffic, a separated path for walking, wheeling and riding, and a navigation channel to allow boats to use the river.
FAQs
What is the Second Kanamaluka/River Tamar crossing?
The Tasmanian Government created The Tamar Valley Traffic Vision in 2019, which aims to address congestion and improve safety and travel time reliability in the Launceston and Tamar Valley road network. A key part of this vision is a second Kanamaluka/River Tamar crossing between the East and West Tamar Highways.
Why do we need another bridge?
The Batman Bridge is currently the only vehicle crossing of the Kanamaluka/River Tamar and is around 30 km north of Launceston. Most people travel through Launceston CBD to access either side of the Kanamaluka/River Tamar (traveling over the South Esk River and North Esk River). This increases traffic congestion in the CBD and contributes to longer travel times. A second bridge also provides a detour option if the King’s Bridge in the CBD or the Batman Bridge are unusable. A second bridge will help future-proof Launceston by connecting areas that are developing with services and places of employment.
How will a bridge improve traffic in the Greater Launceston area?
A bridge connecting the West and East Tamar Highways will remove the need for many travellers to pass through the CBD, dispersing them across the Greater Launceston area more efficiently. A bridge will also provide a pathway for walking, wheeling and riding.
What’s been done so far?
The Department of State Growth has completed engineering assessments, traffic modelling, and geotechnical investigations. From this, five potential options were identified for the crossing. We are now seeking feedback on these potential options from key stakeholders and the community.
How will the feedback from community and stakeholders be used?
Feedback will be used to help identify a preferred option, and to further develop a business case for the new bridge, which is needed for the Australian Government to consider funding the project.
What is a business case?
A business case is a document that explains the need for investment in a project by outlining its benefits, costs, risks, and alignment with strategic objectives. It provides decision makers with the information they need to support or reject a proposed project.
Why do we need a business case?
The business case will inform the department’s engagement with Infrastructure Australia (IA), which is an independent infrastructure advisor for governments, industry and the community.
IA reviews all nationally significant infrastructure proposals to ensure public funds are used to deliver value for money projects that meet the Australian Government’s economic, social, and environmental goals. IA can then advise the Australian government on which infrastructure projects should be funded as a priority.
For a proposal such as the Second Kanamaluka / River Tamar Crossing, the business case:
- clearly defines the problem or opportunity that the project aims to address
- assesses whether the project is financially, technically, and environmentally viable
- provides a cost-benefit analysis
- outlines potential risks and how they will be managed
- shows how the project aligns with national, state, or local infrastructure priorities and policies.
The business case will help Infrastructure Australia assess our proposal and to then advise government on whether the project is a priority for investment.
How much will a new bridge cost?
The cost of a bridge will depend on the option selected. It is likely to cost between $680 million and $1.1 billion.
Where are the potential locations of the new Kanamaluka/River Tamar crossing?
Two potential options connect North Riverside and Newnham while the three other potential crossings connect Riverside and Invermay.
Have other locations been considered?
Yes. Several locations along the river have been considered. The final locations were the result of geotechnical investigations and engineering assessments. The investigations gave us an understanding of which locations would support a bridge and the associated infrastructure.
Why are some of the locations close together?
These locations are similar but have different types of connections to the East and West Tamar Highways, including an interchange with ramps or traffic signals at intersections. We are seeking feedback from stakeholders and the community to better understand which options are preferred.
Will the new bridge still allow boats to navigate the Kanamaluka/River Tamar through to Launceston?
Yes. We would love to hear from you if you use the river – we want to make your views are considered in our planning.
Will there be property acquisition?
Yes. All potential options will require the department to purchase private property. Property owners potentially impacted by the options are being consulted so that we fully understand their views and what the impacts are likely to be.
It is important to note that, at this stage, the options are conceptual and general in nature. Once a preferred option is selected, we will do further investigations and planning to design the detail and more precise location of the bridge and its associated infrastructure. This will help us get a better idea of exactly how much land we may need and what the impacts of using that land might be.
Will pedestrians be able to use the bridge?
Yes. A new bridge will provide a pathway for walking, wheeling and riding.
Will the locations make traffic in the Launceston CBD worse?
No. The new bridge will mean that some traffic will be able to avoid the CBD to reach other areas.
Are these locations final?
No. These locations are an indication of potential locations to allow stakeholders and the community to provide feedback. We will do more work after the public consultation to finalise the location.
Accessibility
If you would like to find out more information and you have accessibility requirements, please email us on newtamarcrossing@stategrowth.tas.gov.au
You can find out more about Transport Services' commitment to accessibility on our website here: transport.tas.gov.au/accessibility
Contact
For more information, please email: newtamarcrossing@stategrowth.tas.gov.au