est rian ▁traffic ▁between ▁the ▁Sydney ▁central ▁business ▁district ▁( CB D ) ▁and ▁the ▁North ▁Sh ore . ▁The ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁bridge , ▁the ▁har bour , ▁and ▁the ▁nearby ▁Sydney ▁Opera ▁House ▁is ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁icon ic ▁image ▁of ▁Sydney , ▁and ▁of ▁Australia ▁itself . ▁The ▁bridge ▁is ▁nick named ▁" The ▁Co ath anger " ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁arch - based ▁design . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁John ▁Brad field ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁Department ▁of ▁Public ▁Works , ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁designed ▁and ▁built ▁by ▁British ▁firm ▁D orm an ▁Long ▁of ▁M idd les br ough ▁( who ▁based ▁the ▁design ▁on ▁their ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁Ty ne ▁Bridge ▁in ▁New castle ▁upon ▁Ty ne ) ▁and ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁The ▁bridge ' s ▁general ▁design , ▁which ▁Brad field ▁task ed ▁the ▁NS W ▁Department ▁of ▁Public ▁Works ▁with ▁producing , ▁was ▁a ▁rough ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁Hell ▁Gate ▁Bridge ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁This ▁general ▁design ▁document , ▁however , ▁did ▁not ▁form ▁any ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁request ▁for ▁tender , ▁which ▁remained ▁sufficiently ▁broad ▁as ▁to ▁allow ▁cant ile ver ▁( B rad field ' s ▁original ▁preference ) ▁and ▁even ▁susp ension ▁bridge ▁propos als . ▁The ▁design ▁chosen ▁from ▁the ▁tender ▁responses ▁was ▁original ▁work ▁created ▁by ▁D orm an ▁Long , ▁who ▁lever aged ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁design ▁from ▁their ▁own ▁Ty ne ▁Bridge ▁which , ▁though ▁super