The calls come several months after thegovernment released draft plans to reshape the fast-growing Pyrmont area over the next two decades. Under the proposed changes,high-rise buildings up to 180 metres would be permitted.
With improved transport deemed key,the City of Sydney says restoring the Glebe Island Bridge should be a priority for the government,arguing it will be crucial for cycling,pedestrian and potentially public transport links between Pyrmont and the so-called Bays precinct at Rozelle.
"It will become a vital link in the realisation of the harbour promenade,connecting the peninsula and harbour CBD upriver to the west,"the council said in a submission."[The bridge] should be immediately ... restored before it is allowed by[Transport for NSW] to deteriorate anymore."
Transport for NSW said the condition and future potential of the bridge was under investigation as part of planning for the renewal of the Bays precinct,adding that it was working closely with other agencies to ensure the best community outcomes for the area.
The swing bridge,which is a pair with the landmarkPyrmont Bridge over Darling Harbour,was closed to traffic when the Anzac Bridge opened in 1995. The government raised the possibility five years ago of eventually re-opening the bridge as a tram line to the Bays precinct.
The City of Sydney has also urged Transport for NSW and the Department of Planning to investigate reducing or eliminating ramps and roadways from the Western Distributor,and pursuing a"more holistic study which considers the feasibility of undergrounding of the route as far as possible".