A need for access from the City to the northern side of the harbour was recognised in the late 1780's but due to an extremely small population and ample land south of the harbour, nothing was done about it. About 50 years later, in August 1842, a ferry service was established between Blues Point and Millers Point. However, due to a lack of patronage, the ferry service was terminated less than 18 months later in January 1844. Following the termination of ferry services, demand slowly increased for means to cross the harbour. In 1860 a ferry service was re-established, this time crossing the harbour from Milsons Point to Fort Macquarie (where the Opera House is now). Following the invention and increasing popularity of the motor car, a vehicular ferry service was commenced in 1901 between Milsons Point and Dawes Point (directly beneath where the harbour bridge is now).

The 'turning of the first sod' was performed by the Hon. R.T Ball, M.L.A at North Sydney on 28th July 1923. The tender of Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd. of Middlesbrough, England was accepted on 24th March 1924, at a contract price of £4,217,721. Major pre-construction work including the tramway diversion from Alfred St, along Dind St to Glen St, and the complete transfer of traffic from the old Milsons Point Station (where Luna Park is now) to the new station (above Fitzroy St) involving railway and ferry changeover, and street widening was completed in July 1924. The ferry docks in Alfred St were moved to Jeffrey St to allow unimpeded access for construction vehicles and machinery to the work site (where Luna Park is now). The excavations for the main bearings and approach span piers were commenced in January 1925.

The Bridge itself:

The bridge itself was constructed arch-first, with the arches being constructed from either abutment almost simultaneously, work from the southern abutment being one month ahead of work from the northern abutment. This was done so any errors could be detected and fixed, while ensuring they did not also happen on the northern section. The arch was commenced in October 1928 and the two sections were joined in an excruciating 12-hour process in August 1930, following a 4-day round-the-clock cable-slackening operation. The joining of the arch was complicated by rapidly falling temperatures and therefore rapidly contracting steel. The deck construction was begun immediately after the arch was closed and was completed in April 1931. Following this, the concrete roadway and the tram/railway tracks were laid. During February 1932 the bridge deck was strenuously load tested with all 4 rail tracks fully loaded with 72 steam locomotives. After 3 weeks of testing, the bridge was deemed to have passed with flying colours, comforming with every one of the designers' and builders' expectations.

Northern Approach:

The northern approach, 800m long, is entirely elevated roadway. It was a remarkable piece of bridge construction at the time, being built on a curve and a superelevation. The tram lines, in the vicinity of the transition into Pacific Hwy, rose over the six traffic lanes on a long curved viaduct to parallel the semi-underground North Shore rail line and join Blue St in front of North Sydney Station. The construction of the northern approach was well-advanced before the arch was commenced, with Milsons Point Station opening in July 1924. The railway line between Hornsby and Milsons Point was electrified to compliment the project in 1928. The Pacific Hwy, known prior to 1928 as Junction St and from 1928 to 1931 as Great Northern Highway, was also extended 1,050 feet (~330m) diagonally through the block east of Walker St and the length from Hornsby to Milsons Point was reconstructed in cement concrete.

Southern Approach:

Like the northern approach, the southern approach, 900m long (including the toll plaza), was constructed in advance of the bridge, providing access for construction vehicles to the base of the arches. The southern approach is almost entirely elevated roadway, built 10m above The Rocks to Observatory Hill where the toll plazas were constructed, along with possibly Australia's first roundabout providing access to York, Grosvenor, Clarence and Kent Streets. The railway approach disappeared underground upon reching Observatory Hill and joined the newly built City Circle railway to Central Station. The two stations associated with the bridge construction, Town Hall and Wynyard, opened in February 1928.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened officially on Saturday 19 March 1932, and opened to traffic the next day. This is the most infamous bridge opening in Australia because a civilian cut the ribbon and the opened the bridge before the Premier, Jack Lang, could. The offender was Francis De Groot, a member of the New Guard, a right-wing extremist party who were vehemently opposed to the Lang Gvoernment's leftist policies. The Harbour Bridge opening provided the perfect stage for the their protest. De Groot was captured by police after cutting the ribbon disguised as a member of the Army. In the end, De Groot was fined £5, and £4 for legal costs, for offensive behaviour on Bradfield Hwy, a public place. Charges of damages to the ribbon in the order of £2 and of using threatening words to Inspector Stuart Robson were dismissed. The bridge, built by the Department of Public Works, was handed over to the responsibilty of the Department of Main Roads in September 1932, except for the areas occupied by the rail and tram tracks.

In March 1950 the Department of Main Roads increased the number of toll booths from 6 to 12 due to ever increasing traffic volumes.

In 1954, the National Route system for major inter (and intra) state highways was unveiled. As part of this system, National Route 1 was routed through Sydney across the Harbour Bridge in 1955.

In the mid-1950's the Minister for Transport announced that by 1961 all tram services would be eliminated and replaced by buses. An important result of this decision was the provision of two more vehicular lanes on the the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The design of the bridge had originally provided for two railway tracks on each side of the roadway, however, as the proposed railway to the Mosman-Manly-Narrabeen area had been abandoned, the double track on the eastern side of the deck was used to carry trams (which already served those areas) into Wynyard Station. When the abandonement of the trams was announced, the Department of Railways decided that the future needs of rail capacity on the Sydney Harbour Bridge could be met by the 2 western tracks, and therefore made the 2 eastern tracks available to the Department of Main Roads for road use. The track area was sufficient to provide 2 new traffic lanes although the the width was less than the normal standard.

At the northern end of the bridge, the tramway viaduct from Blue St was used as vehicle access to the new lanes and a toll booth was constructed in the vicinity of Fitzroy St. At the southern end of the bridge, a ramp was constructed to carry the two new lanes over the entrance to the tramway tunnels leading to Wynyard Station. Tram services were ceased across the bridge and the tracks handed over to the Department of Main Roads in June 1958. The additional traffic lanes were opened to traffic in July 1959.

Meanwhile a new 'extended' southern approach to the Harbour bridge was being constructed. The Sydney Harbour Bridge (Administration) Act, 1932 was amended in 1960 to enable the Deaprtment of Main Roads to use surplus toll moneys for its share of the cost of construction of the Cahill Expressway (including property acquistions). By this time the first stage of the Cahill Expressway, the viaduct across Circular Quay, had been completed by the Department of Railways and Sydney City Council jointly, and opened to traffic in March 1958. The new traffic lanes on the old tram tracks provided access to the eastbound Expressway, while the westbound lanes of the Expressway tunnelled beneath the toll plaza on Observatory Hill before looping anti-clockwise, in a deep cut, to the northbound lanes of the Bradfield Hwy. Harbour Bridge toll revenue was also used to finance the second stage of the Cahill Expressway, from Conservatorium Rd to Sir John Young Crescent, Woolloomooloo.

In July 1966 the Cabinet Standing Committee on Road Safetey abolished the ban on lane changing across the bridge. From this day, motorists could change lanes at any time.

The Department of Main Roads' normal revenues had never been more than sufficient to provide for maintanence and moderate new construction. In lieu of all all the new freeways planned, a new source of revenue had to be found to finance these projects. Consequently, the Sydney Harbour Bridge (Administration) Act, 1932 was amended in 1960 to enable the Department to use surplus toll revenue for its share of the cost of construction of the Cahill Expressway (including acquisition of properties).

The financing of construction of the first stage of the Warringah Freeway on the northern approaches to Sydney Harbour Bridge and the work on the Western Distributor between the market area in the inner City of Sydney and Ultimo was under consideration when the legislation providing for the Cahill Expressway was passed.

Further legislative action was taken to extend the privisions of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (Administration) Act, 1932 by passing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (Administration) Amendment Act, 1962. This Act provided for the extension of the authority contained in the Sydney Harbour Bridge (Further Works) and Main Roads (Amendment) Act. (i.e., payment from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Account of the cost of acquiring property for the Warringah Freeway approaches from Sydney Harbour Bridge to Ernest St) to cover the cost of acquisition between Ernest St and Miller St, Cammeray and the cost of construction between Sydney Harbour Bridge and Miller St.

Coinciding with the introduction of automatic toll collection, the Department of Main Roads decided to make the Sydney Harbour Bridge toll-free for northbound travellers. In July 1970 the existing 20c toll was abolished for northbound travellers.

During the late 1960's, construction began on a new southern approach to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Western Distributor. This approach was designed to take through traffic away from the City Centre and straight to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This project involved massive reconstruction of the Bradfield Highway/York St/Clarence St/Grosvenor St/Kent St intersection into one huge interchange. Flyover ramps were constructed from the toll plaza across Clarence St onto the mainline viaduct which continued across Kent and Erskine Streets to Day St, beneath the Pyrmont Bridge approach. A reversible roadway, similar to those used in the Warringah Fwy, was constructed between the two Western Distributor flyovers providing southbound access to York St in the morning peak and northbound access from Grosvenor St at other times. The Western Distributor 1st stage (Bradfield Hwy-Day St) was opened in September 1972.

Throughout the 1980's, ever increasing traffic volumes and subsequent extensions of the freeway approaches caused more and more congestion on the 8-lane bridge. Plans for a second harbour crossing of any form were mooted, with construction of a tunnel between the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney and the Cahill Expressway at Conservatorium Rd selected as the preferred option. The DMR's leadership team of Bernard Fisk and his three directors accepted a private sector proposal for a second harbour crossing which, instead of being a response to a government tender, was initiated by the private sector. Designed by the Transfield-Kumagai joint venture, supervised by the DMR and financed by Westpac, the Sydney Harbour Tunnel Project was ratified on 31 May 1987. A second harbour crossing was part of the Roads 2000 plan Sydney Orbital plan, but with its cost far outweighing the budget for a single year, the private sector provided the best means of funding the project. The Greiner government of 1988 actually opposed the tunnel but continued the project after an review of the legal position indicated that it would cost just as much to cancel as it would to continue. Promising to reduce the state's debt, Greiner paid the $8.3 million still owed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Account - including the loans used to finance the Cahill & Warringah Expressways - but retained the bridge toll to contribute to the cost of the tunnel, which would also attract a toll. The bridge toll subsequently rose from 20c to $1 in June 1987. Construction began in May of that year with reconstruction of the freeways surrounding both portals.

The northern portals were constructed in the Warringah Freeway between High St and Mount St. The eastern-most reversible roadway was closed south of Ridge St as that would become the toll plaza and northern approach to the tunnel. The northbound portal was located in the middle of the western-most carriageway which was widened to accommodate the extra lanes. At the southern portals, constructed beneath the Cahill Expressway 50m north of Conservatorium Rd, firstly a bridge was constructed to carry the eastbound lanes of the Cahill Expressway above the the portal construction. The Cahill Expressway was narrowed to one-lane in each direction between Conservatorium Rd and the Circular Quay viaduct following the completion of construction. The southern portals also lie directly above two rail tunnels that carry the City Circle rail line between Circular Quay and St James stations. Complex construction techniques were needed to avoid damaging the rail tunnels; concrete beams supported by 7m piers were installed to create an underground bridge on which the road tunnel now rests.

The tunnel itself is made up of three sections; twin 900m land tunnels on the north shore, twin 400m land tunnels on the south shore and a 960m immersed tube (IMT) structure beneath the harbour. The most challenging part of construction was the joining of the submerged tunnel with twin land tunnels beneath the newly-refurbished Opera House concourse. Engineers had to excavate without disturbing the councourse and had to underpin the half-metre thick concourse slab with massive piers and beams to enable old piers that were in the way of the tunnel to be removed. The submerged IMT structure consists of eight 120m long pre-fabricated concrete sections sealed with a waterproof membrane, constructed in a dry dock at Port Kembla and then towed to Sydney Harbour. A 12m deep trench was dredged prior to the arrival of the IMT's and then the IMT's were lowered into the tranch by a system of pontoons and control towers. After the IMT's were in place the trenches were backfilled and then rock armour was placed over the top to protect the units against marine hazards such as anchors or sinking vessels.

On the north shore, in Bradfield Park, a complex ventilation system was constructed to supply fresh air to, and remove exhaust from , the tunnel through ventilation stacks inside the north bridge pylons. On the north side of Mount St bridge, a tunnel and traffic management centre was constructed deirectly opposite the Mount St on/off ramps. A toll plaza was also constructed in the southbound apporach carriageway.

During the tunnel construction, the Sydney Harbour Bridge toll was raised from $1 to $1.50, this happening in March 1989.

As part of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel construction, the Sydney Harbour Bridge also recieved an upgrade, with lane 7 transformed into a bus lane which continued south into York St and north along the Warringah Freeway to Miller St. The bus lane commenced operation on 31 August 1992.

The 4-lane Sydney Harbour Tunnel was opened in September 1992 with a $2 toll. The bridge toll was also raised to match the tunnel toll. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was also stripped of its National Route 1 designation which was routed onto the tunnel.

During 1992 and 1993 the Roads and Traffic Authority unveiled a new system of route marking to improve navigation through Sydney. As part of this system, the Bridge recieved the Metroad 2 designation, and the Tunnel recieved the Metroad 1 designation, which directly replaced National Route 1 through Sydney, in mid 1993.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge & Tunnel tolls rose to $2.20 in July 2000 with the Australia-wide implementation of the Goods and Services Tax.

In January 2002 the Carr Labour Government increased the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel toll again, this time to $3. Commuters and taxpayers are outraged as the Bridge was supposed to have been paid off in full nearly 15 years ago. They start to wonder if the bridge will ever be toll-free.

Future Improvements & Extensions

Second Bridge Deck:

A few years ago now a serious cry for higher capacity on the existing harbour crossings was met with a proposal for second, lower, deck on the bridge. The bridge was designed with the strength to carry a second deck, and the proposal was supported by CityRail (now RailCorp) because it gave extra capacity to the North Shore rail line with 2 extra tracks. The proposal never met official backing, unfortunately, but the question must be asked; with the Warringah Fwy and Cahill Expressway already operating at full capacity in peak hour, where will the extra traffic, generated by a second deck, go?