More than 160 days after the closure of the Story Bridge footpaths, Brisbane City Council has confirmed that no traffic lanes will be converted for pedestrian or cycling use.

About 4,000 daily walkers, cyclists, and scooter riders have been diverted to alternative routes since the footpaths were shut for safety reasons earlier this year. Council crews are now installing more than 1,500 metres of steel supports to hold a new fibre-reinforced polymer decking, with the city-side path expected to reopen later in 2025 and the eastern path in 2026.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the bridge’s lanes are too narrow to safely accommodate a dedicated active transport lane once barriers are installed. He warned that even closing one lane would cause major disruption to traffic, while closing two would be unworkable.

The bridge has been subject to restrictions since 2022, with heavy vehicles over 2.5 tonnes banned from its outer lanes due to structural concerns. Council officials said the new decking would provide greater load capacity than the original footpaths, with overnight lane closures required during installation.

Active transport advocates, including the Space 4 Cycling group, have argued that the former footpaths were already too narrow in parts and continue to call for more space for pedestrians and riders. Earlier this year, a court blocked protesters from closing all six lanes of the bridge during a planned demonstration in support of the proposal.

The council has committed $18 million to the Story Bridge in its current budget, including $6.9 million for the temporary footpath decking and associated repairs. A business case for the full restoration of the bridge is expected in 2026, with long-term works to be carried out over 15 to 20 years.