Situated approximately halfway between the Tasman Bridge and the Bridgewater Bridge, the Bowen Bridge was constructed to mitigate any future failure of the city's bridges following the Tasman Bridge disaster. The State and Federal Governments established the Joint Committee in November 1975 to oversee the design and construction of a bridge across the River Derwent near Dowsings Point.[5] Maunsell and Partners served as consulting engineers and Leighton-Candac, awarded the contract in 1980, completed the construction.
The Bowen Bridge is a segmental cantilever road bridge crossing the River Derwent in Tasmania, Australia. The bridge serves as a vital transportation link in the state capital of Hobart, facilitating the movement of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists between the local government areas of Clarence on the eastern shore and Glenorchy on the western shore. The Bowen Bridge links the East Derwent Highway with the Brooker Highway (as Goodwood Road) at Glenorchy, approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Hobart city centre.
The Bowen Bridge is composed of eight river spans, each measuring 109 metres (358 ft). The end spans are 48 metres (157 ft) and 56 metres (184 ft) long. It maintains a consistent deck width of 21.4 metres (70 ft), accommodating a 7.42-metre (24.3 ft) divided highway with two lanes each, along with two separated shared-use walkways.[1]
The Bowen Bridge takes its name from British coloniser John Bowen, who founded the first European settlement in Tasmania (then Van Diemen's Land) at Risdon Cove on the eastern shore. Bowen subsequently moved the colony to the western side of the River Derwent, where the Hobart city centre is located today.[3] Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser revealed the bridge's name at a public ceremony at Dowsings Point on 10 October 1980
Tara Grout and Jewlie Boxsell were the first recorded swimmers to swim from Bowen Bridge on the Derwent River, Hobart, Tasmania to Iron Pot Lighthouse on Iron Pot Island at the mouth of the Derwent River in Storm Bay. The true distance for this marathon swim is 28.4km .
Start your journey on the Derwent River. Each swim is a personal test of endurance, strength, and connection to one of Australia’s most beautiful waterways.
