A citizen-led petition is drawing attention to one of Sydney’s most notorious traffic bottlenecks: the Spit Bridge and the Military Road corridor. The campaign is led by community advocate Mark Longhurst, who wants to ensure that congestion issues are addressed before new housing places additional pressure on the area.
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The Spit Bridge, a steel and concrete girder structure with a bascule lift span over Middle Harbour, has long been a pinch point for commuters. Located 10 kilometres north-east of Sydney’s central business district, it connects Spit Road in Mosman with Manly Road in Seaforth as part of State Route A8. The bridge must open multiple times each day to allow boats to pass, creating frequent delays during peak hours.
Traffic along Military Road and Pittwater Road has frustrated drivers for decades. With new housing targets, the pressure on these roads is expected to increase. Mosman is required to accommodate at least 500 additional apartments and townhouses by 2029, while the northern beaches region is slated for nearly 6,000 new homes. The petition highlights that without infrastructure improvements, the corridor’s roads and public transport may struggle to cope, affecting liveability and increasing health risks for local communities.
The petition, titled “Spit Bridge Gridlock Needs a Solution,” requests a detailed review of the Spit Bridge and surrounding corridor to assess its capacity to handle additional traffic. It calls for strategic planning to address current congestion and the expected increase in vehicle numbers resulting from new housing. Suggested solutions include widening the bridge, raising its height to reduce the need for lift operations, and exploring new public transport options, including a Metro line.
Local representatives have expressed support for reviewing the area’s transport infrastructure. Independent Wakehurst MP Michael Regan has raised concerns about congestion and noted that the previously proposed Beaches Link tunnel could have helped ease pressure on the Spit Bridge corridor and provided additional public transport options.
The Spit Bridge and Military Road corridor have inherent limitations. Even measures such as widening the bridge may not fully resolve congestion because of pinch points along Military Road. The petition emphasises that planning for additional public transport options is needed to complement any road-based solutions.
The petition seeks 20,000 signatures to allow it to be formally submitted to Parliament. It underlines the importance of reviewing the corridor’s capacity and planning infrastructure before additional housing is developed. For communities on the Lower North Shore and northern beaches, this represents an effort to ensure that liveability is maintained as population grows.
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The petition closes on 12 February 2026. Longhurst and supporters hope that reaching the signature target will help prompt action to address the long-standing traffic congestion that affects daily commuting along Spit Bridge and Military Road. The campaign frames congestion relief as essential for maintaining safe, accessible, and functional roads in the region, as well as adequate public transport options for current and future residents.
Published 8-December-2025
