The river crossing between Bridgewater and Granton has a long history, with work on the causeway starting in 1830 and the first bridge connecting the causeway and Bridgewater opening in 1848. The existing Bridgewater Bridge, built in 1946, was reaching the end of its life, becoming unsafe, unreliable, and expensive to maintain.

This major transport interchange project spans three local government areas and is adjacent to several state and local heritage items. It was the first to be assessed under the Tasmanian Government’s Major Project Assessment Process, requiring consideration of the Bridge’s potential for inclusion under the EPBC Act as well as navigating differing Planning Scheme considerations across the three local government areas.

As lead heritage consultant Purcell’s role was to manage and monitor potential impacts on the Bridgewater Crossing's complex features, including the current bridge, convict-built causeway and remnants of previous bridges. Our study resulted in a comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment that considered the significance of all items within and adjacent to the site, and potential impacts arising from the proposal. Mitigating measures to ensure the care and conservation of all heritage features were recommended and largely adopted by the approving body in resulting conditions of consent.

Mitigations included the delivery of a Photographic Archival Recording of 10 built heritage features and a condition report and scope of conservation works for the adjacent Black Snake Inn. This comprehensive approach ensured the project's alignment with heritage conservation principles while addressing the intricate planning and preservation challenges.