The Harding St Bridge is a quaint and gorgeous part of the Merri Merri. The 37 year old bridge (which is young, in bridge-years!) is a wooden, arched suspension bridge that squeaks and bounces people along it. The current bridge replaced a bridge of the exact same design from 1925, before bikes were as popular as they are today!

One common problem is that the bridge is fairly narrow. The bridge is well-used because there are a lack of other bridges along the creek; this causes a bit of an issue with bikes and pedestrians and prams and dogs all vying to cross the creek.

In June 2020 the Moreland Council decided that the Harding St Bridge should be replaced with a bigger and more modern design.

But it's not clear why! Why not have another bridge along the Merri Merri? Between Harding Street and Moreland Road (~17 minute walk, 1.4km along the trail), there’s no way to cross. So, if any pedestrians want to make it from Coburg to the trendy cafes along Miller St, they need to take an extraordinarily inconvenient route to get there! Why not have another bridge halfway? 

The proposed replacement bridge features an entirely different design, with walls that are 3 meters high. Put simply - it's hideous. See, here: https://conversations.moreland.vic.gov.au/harding-street-bridge-replacement-project-design-stage

On top of this, whilst the new proposed bridge is being constructed, there will be no way to cross the creek at this area for up to 12 months! This will be a major inconvenience for pedestrians. 

Save the Harding St Bridge! Build more bridges!