Opened in December 1965, the Tarban Creek Bridge formed a "missing link" between the existing Gladesville and Fig Tree Bridges. Traffic between the old Fig Tree and Gladesville Bridges previously had to negotiate the streets of Hunters Hill to cross the creek further upstream. The three new bridges were built to carry a North Western Expressway, which never came to fruition.[3]
From 2006, the Tarban Creek Bridge formed part of the Seven Bridges Walk, a free community event that promotes walking as a way of staying fit and active, and consisted of a circuit that crossed seven of Sydney's bridges, including the Sydney Harbour, Pyrmont, Anzac, Iron Cove, Gladesville, and Fig Tree bridges.[4]