Bridge strikes are costing the Australian economy more than $100 million a year, with the number of incidents expected to keep increasing as the national freight task grows.
A new report from HoustonKemp Economists estimates that approximately 1,220 bridge strikes occurred across Australia during the 2024-25 financial year, generating an economic cost of about $101 million.
Prepared for HERE Technologies and the Australian Logistics Council, The economic costs of bridge strikes in Australia is described as the first comprehensive attempt to quantify the national economic impact of the problem.
The report estimates the weighted average cost of a bridge strike at $82,467, more than twice the $33,900 average social cost per road crash used as a comparison from Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics data.
Importantly for the heavy vehicle industry, the study suggests the problem is getting larger.
HoustonKemp estimates bridge strikes increased by around 38 per cent between FY2018 and FY2025, compared with road freight volume growth of approximately 16 per cent over the same period.
Without intervention, the report forecasts around 1,500 bridge strikes annually by FY2035.
The financial impact would rise with them. Annual economic costs are projected to increase from approximately $101 million in FY2025 to around $125 million by FY2035.
Over the 10 years from FY2026 to FY2035, HoustonKemp estimates bridge strikes could impose costs with a net present value of $869 million, based on a five per cent discount rate.
More than infrastructure damage
One of the important findings for transport operators is that the economic cost extends well beyond repairing the bridge.
HoustonKemp divides the impact into physical damage, productivity losses and healthcare costs.
Physical damage includes repairs to bridges and vehicles as well as lost or damaged freight. Productivity impacts include traffic congestion, disruption to rail passengers and supply-chain interruption, while healthcare costs include emergency response, injuries and fatalities.
Bridge repairs are estimated to represent around 41 per cent of the weighted average cost of an incident, while congestion contributes another 30 per cent.
Vehicle repairs account for approximately $13,100 of the weighted average incident cost, with rail delays adding about $8,600.
The consequences can escalate rapidly with incident severity.
HoustonKemp estimates a protection beam or signage strike costs an average of $56,824, while a moderate incident costs around $251,247.
A major bridge strike is estimated at approximately $729,491, while a catastrophic incident involving partial or complete bridge collapse could exceed $6.25 million.
East coast carries most of the burden
The overwhelming majority of incidents occur in the eastern states.
The report estimates New South Wales accounts for 34 per cent of bridge-strike costs, or around $34 million annually, followed by Queensland at $33 million and Victoria at $29 million.
Queensland has the largest estimated share of incidents at 36 per cent, which HoustonKemp links to its extensive network of height-restricted roads.
Victoria, however, accounts for a disproportionately high share of more serious incidents. The report estimates the state represents 25 per cent of total strikes but 44 per cent of incidents classified as moderate severity or above.
HoustonKemp suggests this may reflect Victoria’s concentration of very low-clearance bridges.
Who pays?
The cost also reaches well beyond the truck involved.
HoustonKemp estimates vehicle operators or drivers bear 37 per cent of the total economic impact, equivalent to about $37 million in FY2025.
Rail operators carry an estimated 21 per cent, while the remaining 42 per cent — approximately $43 million — falls on the broader economy through congestion, rail delays and emergency response.
For heavy vehicle operators, the findings provide another way of looking at bridge strikes.
They are not simply isolated incidents involving a damaged truck and infrastructure. Each strike has the potential to impose costs across freight operations, infrastructure owners, public transport networks and other road users.
With Australia’s freight task continuing to grow, HoustonKemp’s report suggests reducing the frequency of bridge strikes could become increasingly important for both transport productivity and fleet risk management.
