Anzac Bridge

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Anzac Bridge
2019-04-10 ANZAC Bridge.jpg
Aerial view of the bridge
Coordinates 33°52′10″S151°11′09″E / 33.869340°S 151.185780°E / -33.869340; 151.185780
Carries Western Distributor AUS Alphanumeric Route A4.svg
CrossesJohnstons Bay
Locale Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Begins Pyrmont (east)
Ends Glebe Island / Rozelle (west)
Other name(s)New Glebe Island Bridge
Named for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
Owner Transport for NSW
Characteristics
Design Cable-stayed
MaterialConcrete and steel
Pier construction Reinforced concrete
Total length805 metres (2,641 ft)
Width32.2 metres (106 ft)
Longest span345 metres (1,132 ft)
Piers in water2
No. of lanes 8; plus grade-separated shared footpath and cycleway
History
Contracted lead designer Roads & Traffic Authority
Constructed by Baulderstone
Construction costA$170 million
Opened3 December 1995 (1995-12-03)
Replaces Glebe Island Bridge
Location
Anzac Bridge
References
[1] [2]

The Anzac Bridge is an eight-lane cable-stayed bridge that carries the Western Distributor (A4) across Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island (part of the suburb of Rozelle), on the western fringe of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge forms part of the road network leading from the central business district, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Cross City Tunnel to the Inner West and Northern Suburbs.

Contents

History

Glebe Island Bridges

There were two bridges over Johnstons Bay before the construction of the Anzac Bridge.

The first bridge was constructed as part of a project to move the abattoirs out of central Sydney, and to construct public abattoirs at Glebe Island. [3] The first pile of the original bridge was driven in October 1860. [4] The bridge was opened in 1862 and was a timber beam bridge 318.6 metres (1,045 feet 5 inches) long and 8.5 m (28 ft) wide with a 12 m (40 ft) swing section on the eastern side. It replaced a double steam punt crossing. [4]

The second Glebe Island Bridge was an electrically operated swing bridge opened in 1903, the year after the opening of the new Pyrmont Bridge over Sydney's Darling Harbour, which has a similar design. The bridge was designed by Percy Allan of the New South Wales Public Works Department who also designed the Pyrmont Bridge. Delays due to increasing traffic, which were exacerbated by having to close a major arterial road to allow the movement of shipping into Blackwattle Bay, led to the construction of the present-day Anzac Bridge. The 1903 bridge is still standing, but there is no access to pedestrians or vehicular traffic.

Anzac Bridge

The stay cable design concept development and final design for the new bridge were carried out by a team from the Roads & Traffic Authority, led by their Chief Bridge Engineer Ray Wedgwood and the construction by Baulderstone. [5] The bridge was opened to traffic on 3 December 1995 as the Glebe Island Bridge. [6]

The bridge was given its current name on Remembrance Day in 1998 [7] to honour the memory of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (known as Anzacs) who served in World War I. An Australian Flag flies atop the eastern pylon and a New Zealand Flag flies atop the western pylon. A bronze memorial statue of an Australian Anzac soldier ("digger") holding a Lee–Enfield rifle in the "rest on arms reverse" drill position was placed on the western end of the bridge on Anzac Day in 2000. A statue of a New Zealand soldier was added to a plinth across the road from the Australian Digger, facing towards the east, and was unveiled by Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark in the presence of Premier of New South Wales Morris Iemma on Sunday 27 April 2008. [8]

Description

The bridge is 32.2 m (105 ft 8 in) wide and the main span is 345 m (1,132 ft) long. The reinforced concrete pylons are 120 m (390 ft) high [9] and support the deck by two planes of stay cables. Initially the stay cables were plagued by vibrations which have since been resolved by the addition of thin stabilising cables between the stay cables. [10]

There is a grade-separated shared pedestrian footpath and cycleway located on the northern side of the bridge, making possible a walk from Glebe Point Road, down Bridge Road, over the bridge and round Blackwattle Bay back to Glebe Point Road.[ citation needed ]

The bridge can carry a maximum of 180,000 cars per day. It reached its maximum capacity in 2002, only seven years after it was finished and consistent with the principles of induced demand of traffic.[ citation needed ]

The bridge is regularly patrolled by security guards as a counter-terrorist attack measure. Security cameras also monitor the walkway.[ citation needed ]

The bridge has a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour): it was reduced from 70 km/h (43 mph) in January 2005. [11] Also prior to that date, the bridge had seven traffic lanes (4 eastbound, 3 westbound).

Originally, there were bus stops at the western end of the bridge, but they were removed because buses pulling out from the stops created a hazard as they merged with other traffic moving at (or close to) the speed limit. The Australian Anzac statue on the northern side of the bridge is adjacent to the former city-bound bus stop; the New Zealand Anzac statue was installed within the ramp area of the former stop on the southern side.

ANZAC Bridge from Blackwattle Bay ferry wharf.jpg
Panoramic view from Blackwattle Bay ferry wharf, Glebe, with F10 ferry Me-Mel

The bridge has been used in a number of artistic works including:

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "ANZAC Bridge". Structurae . Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  2. ↑ "Description and history (with construction photos) of the Anzac Bridge, Sydney". groveoz.info.
  3. ↑ "REMOVAL OF THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES FROM SYDNEY". The Sydney Morning Herald . 22 October 1860. Retrieved 10 November 2010– via Trove, National Library of Australia.
  4. 1 2 "COMMENCEMENT OF THE GLEBE ISLAND BRIDGE". Sydney Morning Herald . 11 October 1860. Retrieved 10 November 2010– via Trove, National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ Anzac Bridge at Structurae
  6. ↑ "Anzac Bridge Sydney". member.rivernet.com.au. February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  7. 1 2 "{{{2}}}". New South Wales Heritage Database. Office of Environment & Heritage . Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  8. ↑ Samandar, Lema (27 April 2008). "Kiwi joins his little mate on Anzac Bridge watch". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  9. ↑ "Anzac Bridge". Heritage NSW. NSW State Government. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "ANZAC Bridge – Bridge Maintenance". www.groveoz.info. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Transport for NSW. "Safer Roads NSW" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  12. ↑ Jolly, Nathan (10 July 2017). "Which musical landmarks in Sydney should be recognised with plaques?". The Brag. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  13. ↑ Cayley, A.H. (27 June 2013). "You Am I is the longest love affair I have ever had". Faster Louder. Archived from the original on 23 September 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
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