was surrendered to the Department of Main Roads in 1975 after forty years of operation by the company. From this time the Main Roads Department assumed responsibility for maintaining the structure. By then, the increasing road volumes necessitated the investigation of carrying additional traffic. An additional viaduct was authorised by the Main Roads Department in 1977 to cope with increasing traffic flows to and from the Redcliffe Peninsula. The Houghton Highway as the new bridge was named opened to traffic in 1979. The publicly funded (non-tolled) Houghton Highway bridge was built alongside the Hornibrook Bridge, with the intention of duplicating the capacity. The project had intended to upgrade the Hornibrook Bridge as part of that project, but was subsequently found to be uneconomic. The Hornibrook Bridge was closed to traffic in 1979 with the opening of the Houghton Highway bridge. From 1979, the Hornibrook Bridge was only used as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge, providing the only pedestrian and cycling link between the northern suburbs of Brisbane and the Redcliffe Peninsula. It also became a popular site for recreation and fishing. Although the bridge was heritage-listed in 1994, concerns arose about the cost of ongoing maintenance and whether the Queensland Government or local councils should pay for it. An additional (third) bridge, the Ted Smout Memorial Bridge opened to traffic in July 2010, delivering the desired capacity increase as well as providing pedestrian and cyclist access. As the Hornibrook Bridge was then no longer needed for pedestrian and cyclist access, it was closed on 14 July 2010. Before its closure, the Hornibrook Bridge was the longest footbridge in the world. Subsequently, the Poughkeepsie Bridge, located in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, became the world's longest footbridge. Despite the heritage listing of the Hornibrook Bridge in 1994, safety concerns about the rotting deck timbers led to the decision to demolish most of the bridge in mid 2011, retaining the north and south portals and of bridge at the northern end for use by fishermen. The northern end of the bridge was officially reopened on 14 September 2011 as the Hays Inlet Fishing and Recreation Platform by Craig Wallace, Minister for Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure. The Hornibrook Highway was a major catalyst in accelerating the urban development of the Redcliffe Peninsula and its surrounding area. In its planning, construction and operation it represented a major innovation in construction activities in