Yes. Safety is the top priority. Works will be carried out using secure platforms, protective barriers, and strict safety procedures to safeguard workers and the public. This may require restricted access to areas of the bridge at certain times of works.
Walter Taylor Bridge works – Indooroopilly/Chelmer
Learn what Council is doing to renew and maintain the heritage-listed Walter Taylor Bridge.
About the Walter Taylor Bridge works
We’re giving the Walter Taylor Bridge a much-needed refresh to renew the towers' rendered façades. With around 32,000 daily users, it’s an important part of Brisbane’s transport network. These works will help ensure this 90-year-old heritage listed bridge continues to serve our community for decades to come.
We’ll also carry out essential maintenance works and repairs on the bridge. These works will help keep the bridge safe and reliable for everyone who uses it.
It’s all part of our ongoing efforts to care for and protect this iconic landmark.
The works will include:
- refurbishing and repairing the surface of the north (Indooroopilly) and south towers (Chelmer), including updating the protective coatings
- inspecting the bridge's cable connection points (nodes), and repairing or replacing them where needed
- checking the condition of key structural parts and identifying any signs of damage or wear.
History of Walter Taylor Bridge
The Walter Taylor Bridge has been an important part of Brisbane’s transport network since it opened on 14 February 1936. Designed by local resident Walter Taylor, it was first known as the Indooroopilly Toll Bridge. The bridge was renamed in his honour in 1956.
The bridge uses surplus suspension cables from the Sydney Harbour Bridge project. It has two steel‑reinforced concrete pylons, standing 26.5 metres on the Indooroopilly side and 38.4 metres on the Chelmer side.
The bridge is one of only a few in the world designed for residential living. It is the only bridge of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The north tower was home to the Green family for more than 75 years until 2009.
The Green family managed the tolls and maintenance for the Indooroopilly Toll Bridge Limited. The bridge was then handed over to the Brisbane City Council in 1963.
Tower renewal works
The Walter Taylor Bridge is 90 years old and the façade render on both towers is in need of repairs.
What’s happening first?
We will begin with a series of further, more detailed investigations. This will help us better understand the condition of each tower and what repairs are needed. We will start with the north tower.
The investigation will allow us to determine:
- where the existing render needs to be replaced
- which areas can be repaired or simply cleaned.
Our specialist crews will take small samples from various parts of the façades for testing.
What happens next?
Once investigations are complete and the results are reviewed, we’ll finalise the best approach for the main works. Subject to the findings, we expect the main works on the north tower to begin in mid-2026.
Works on the south tower will commence following the completion of the north tower.
Essential maintenance works
Node and cable investigations and repairs
We need to replace several steel components called ‘nodes’, which connect the cables to the bridge’s truss. These parts have reached the end of their service life and require replacement. Completing this work will help maintain the structural integrity of the much-loved Walter Taylor bridge and ensure it remains safe and reliable for all users.
To replace the nodes safely, the bridge must be carrying no load. This means the bridge will need to be closed during the works to all vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and emergency vehicles.
What this means for you
To minimise the impact on the community, full bridge closures will take place when traffic volumes are at their lowest. Closures are on the following weekends in May and June 2026:
- 9pm Friday 22 May to 5am Monday 25 May
- 9pm Friday 29 May to 5am Monday 1 June
- 9pm Friday 5 June to 5am Monday 8 June
- 9pm Friday 19 June to 5am Monday 22 June.
These dates and times may change depending on the weather and how work progresses.
A section of Wharf Street, between Rosebery Terrace and Regatta Street, and Radnor Street, between Foxton Street and Riverview Terrace, will also be closed during these times.
To support scaffold installation, single lane overnight closures will be required from late April, between 9pm and 5am, Sunday to Thursday. These arrangements will also be in place again from mid‑June for scaffold removal. Traffic will be maintained in both directions under stop/go control; however, motorists should expect delays during these times.
The Walter Taylor Bridge footpath will also close from late April to allow for scaffold installation and will remain closed until the works finish. Pedestrians and cyclists can continue to use Jack Pesch Bridge during this time.
If you’re travelling through the area on the closure weekends, please plan an alternative route and allow extra time.
Bus routes 105, 106, 127, 598 and 599 will be impacted by the bridge closures. Passengers will need to disembark on either side of the bridge, transfer via train across the river, and continue their journey by bus.
Traffic control and onsite signage will be in place to assist pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and public transport users during the closures.
If works are complete sooner than expected, the bridge will be reopened, and the community will be notified as soon as possible.
Further node works and maintenance works impacting on the bridge will be complete in stages over the next few years.
Detailed bridge inspection
A team of trained inspectors will undertake a detailed condition inspection of the Walter Taylor Bridge. They will identify any damage and confirm compliance with safety standards.
The findings will inform future maintenance plans.
Timeline
February 2026
Stage 1 Tower façade renewal works - Investigations and trial works.
May-June 2026
Node renewal works and weekend bridge closures.
Mid-2026
North tower façade renewal works.
Late 2026
Node renewal works and other essential maintenance works with overnight or weekend bridge closures.
Mid-2027
South tower façade renewal works.
Mid-2028
Tower façade works completion.
Essential maintenance works continue.
Resources and more information
Download the current works notice about the works:
Download the newsletter for the project introduction:
Contact information
If you have questions regarding the Walter Taylor Bridge maintenance works or would like to sign up for email updates, you can:
- phone the project team on 07 3178 5413 (during business hours)
- phone Council on 07 3403 8888 (after hours)
- email Council
- register for project updates
- write to:
Walter Taylor Bridge Project team
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
Brisbane Qld 4001.
Frequently asked questions
During bridge closures, police cars, ambulances and Quick Response Fire and Rescue vehicles responding to incidents with lights and sirens can access nearby Jack Pesch Bridge.
Traffic control will be in place to direct emergency services vehicles and will also clear the bridge of pedestrians and cyclists before emergency vehicles cross the bridge.
Public transport services, including bus routes 105, 106, 127, 598, and 599 will be impacted by the bridge closures.
A coordinated strategy with Translink and Queensland Rail will enable passengers to disembark on either side of the bridge, transfer via train across the river, and continue their journey by bus. Temporary signage and public notifications will be in place to assist passengers and minimise disruption.
Alternative routes
- Accessible transfer – South :
- Graceville train station is the closest station with lift access south of the bridge. People who cannot use stairs, and who need to transfer from a train to a bus, will need to go to the Graceville Great Circle Line bus stop adjacent to Graceville train rail station to access their usual bus route.
- Accessible Transfer - North:
- Indooroopilly train station has lift access to Westminster Road. From there passengers can travel about 275 metres to Clarence Road Stop 36 (Stop ID 001666) and catch buses 427, 428 or 432 to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre.
- Alternatively, Coonan Street Stop 53 (Stop ID 1665) is about 250 metres along Coonan Street from Indooroopilly Station, outside the Eldorado cinema.
- 598 services will terminate here after servicing Indooroopilly Shopping Centre
- 599 Services will commence from here, linking to Indooroopilly Shopping Centre and then the normal route.
- Indooroopilly to Sherwood/Graceville:
- Bus passengers travelling via Indooroopilly to Sherwood or Graceville Stations should disembark at Lambert Street Stop 35 (Stop ID 001663) and catch the train from Indooroopilly train station.
- Access via stairs:
- Underpass at Indooroopilly Station exits on Station Road.
Some additional noise, lighting and dust are unavoidable, but Council will use best-practice methods to minimise impacts, including protective coverings, controlled work hours, and monitoring.
Bridges are critical assets that require ongoing maintenance.
We conduct detailed inspections on all Council bridges approximately every five years to ensure they remain safe and in good condition. These inspections check for maintenance effectiveness, damage, confirm safety standards and guide future maintenance planning.
These works are part of a long-term program to keep Brisbane’s transport network safe and reliable.