The urban and landscape design for the Tourle Street Bridge takes into consideration its industrial landscape setting and provides a functional design to complement the area. 

​

The bridge design is consistent with the existing bridge. The design maintains the low horizontal characteristics of the existing bridge and will be in sympathy with the horizontal features of the surrounding landscape. Bridge piers reflect the shape of the existing piers but the spacing has been amended to minimise any construction impacts with the piers of the demolished original bridge. 

​

Three main principles for the landscape design:

​

• To integrate the new road with the wetland with sedges and other appropriate wetland species.

• Allow for hydroseeding of relevant local species in areas with a lower visual amenity.

• The use of the ecoblanket technique for local species in areas of higher visual amenity.

​

The landscape opens up on its approach to the Hunter River. The roadside batters become shallower and are planted with massed native grasses. Views to the bridge approach and the River are maintained by restricting the planting palette to grasses.

​

From Tourle Street to Cormorant Road, the environment changes from industrial uses to the wetlands and the mangroves of the Hunter River, and the landscape treatment changes to sedges. These sedges will stabilise the batters, manage the tidal movement of estuarine waters and in time, allow the regeneration of mangroves along the River bank.