According to Nick Greiner, the grandfather of Sydney’s toll road network, “the grand old coathanger” was paid off in 1988 at more than three times the original cost forecast. It’s likely Sydney’s motorists have since repaid the bridge cost many times over, while the Harbour Tunnel was fully paid off in 2022.

Now, in an attempt to wring the neck of the grand old golden goose one more time, the Minns government has taken the opportunity to increase peak and off-peak tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge by 3.2 per cent from July 1.

The Harbour Bridge was paid off in 1988.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

The move to charge north shore drivers more has been on the cards since the first independent review of the city’s toll system by the former competition watchdog chairman

© The Sydney Morning Herald