The recent increase in people 'exercising' during the COVID-19 lockdown has brought the bridge's condition and ability to meet the community's needs into sharp focus.

Locals fear an increasing number of near-misses between cars and cyclists on the 304-metre long bridge will soon result in a tragedy.

"We have the oldest population in Australia but it is a very health-conscious community," MidCoast councillor Len Roberts said.

"I'd say there are 10 times more people using the bridge today than there were two years ago. The pandemic has really ramped things up because a lot of people have been out on their mobility scooters and bikes."

The narrow pathways mean there is often a logjam between cyclists walking their bikes across the bridge and pedestrians.

In an attempt to alleviate the situation, MidCoast Council recently erected 12 no standing signs on the pathway.

Locals have proposed a simple solution that would involve creating a one-way footpath that would exit under the bridge on the Tea Gardens side.

This would complement the exit on the Hawks Nest side.

A MidCoast Council spokeswoman agreed that pedestrian access on the bridge, which was opened in 1974, needed to be upgraded.

"It is narrow and poses difficulty for users," she said.

"In the longer term it would be good to widen the footpath areas on one or both sides.

"The work to achieve this could be significant. We are investigating the short term options to improve the situation."

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Another problem is confusion among many drivers about cyclists' rights.

Hugh Jones, who rides over the bridge every day, said he was often ordered off the road by ignorant motorists.

"I'd say about half of the people who drive over it don't understand that you are allowed to ride across it," Mr Jones said.

"There's not much room at the best of times but when you get a bus or a truck or an elderly driver who is a bit slow you have a recipe for disaster."

The bridge's condition has also come under scrutiny in recent times.

A 39 tonne load limit has been in place since the last underwater inspection of the bridge's piers. The next inspection is due next year.

While the council argues it is structurally sound, the heavily rusted railings and joints do not impress locals.

The council spokeswoman said the last major maintenance expenditure on the bridge occurred in 2005.

"The condition of the surface coating on the handrailing is poor," the spokeswoman said.

"It requires an assessment of the options for repair and recoating so that the best option can be identified and costed. Once we know how much this work is likely to cost then it can be considered in future works programs.

"The current condition of the handrailing is largely aesthetic; it doesn't detract from the overall functionality of the bridge."