Fitzroy Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 23°22′29″S150°30′53″E / 23.3748°S 150.5146°E |
| Carries | Fitzroy Street (Motor vehicles, pedestrian) |
| Crosses | Fitzroy River |
| Locale | Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 369 metres (1,210 ft) |
| Width | 6 metres (20 ft) |
| Longest span | 60 metres (198 ft) |
| No. of spans | 7 |
| History | |
| Construction start | 29 September 1945 |
| Replaces | Fitzroy Bridge |
| Location | |
 | |
The Fitzroy Bridge is a road bridge spanning the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. [1]
Construction on the bridge commenced on 29 September 1945 when Rockhampton Mayor Henry Jeffries turned the first sod to mark the start of the construction period. [2] It was officially opened by Queensland Premier Vince Gair on 27 September 1952 when an all-day event was held on and around the bridge, which attracted more than 30,000 people. [1] [3] [4]
The first traffic accident on the bridge was recorded three hours after the bridge was open, when a girl was hit by a car crossing the bridge. The result of her injuries were not life-threatoning. [1]
The bridge is 370 metres (1,210 ft) in length between abutments, with a 70-metre (230 ft) southern approach and a 315-metre (1,033 ft) northern approach. [5] The bridge consists of seven spans carrying a 12.8-metre-wide (42 ft) roadway with two 1.5-metre-wide (5 ft) pedestrian walkways on either side. [6]
The Fitzroy Bridge replaced the original Fitzroy Bridge which had served the city since 1881. [7] When the new bridge was opened, the original bridge was closed but it remained unused alongside the new bridge until it was demolished in January 1956. [8]
Linking Rockhampton City with Berserker, the Fitzroy Bridge connects Fitzroy Street with Toft Street, passing over Victoria Parade, Reaney Street, Ashney Street and the Lakes Creek railway line. In 2018, Australian Iranian artist Niloufar Lovegrove painted a mural in the Victoria Parade underpass incorporating local themes. [9]
The Fitzroy Bridge was the only road traffic bridge crossing the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton until the Neville Hewitt Bridge was opened 650 metres (2,133 ft) upstream in 1980. [10]
The 60th anniversary of the bridge's opening was commemorated in 2012. [11]
The Fitzroy Bridge is known for its noticeable "bounce", which was first observed on the night it was opened when thousands of people were dancing on the bridge while an orchestra played music. [4] At the time, local newspaper The Morning Bulletin reported that the bridge "literally bounced in time with the rhythmic tread of thousands of dancing feet". [4] In 2014, the Department of Transport and Main Roads assured residents that is normal for the bridge to have deflection or bend to manage the weight and movement of the traffic. [12]
The bridge has been used as a focal point for various celebrations. Each July, an annual march occurs on the bridge as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations. [13]
During the 2010s, Rockhampton Regional Council began placing a single illuminated Christmas banner on the eastern side of the Fitzroy Bridge each December, and has expressed interest in extending that to all-year decorative coloured flood lighting. [14] [15]
Increasing traffic on the bridge is contributing to an increase in frequency of traffic accidents. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] There have also been instances when heavy vehicles have become wedged in the bridge's underpasses. [22]
There have also been concerns raised about the safety of cyclists who use the Fitzroy Bridge. [23]
Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the population of Rockhampton was 79,293.
The Fitzroy River is a river in Central Queensland, Australia. Its catchment covers an area of 142,665 square kilometres (55,083 sq mi), making it the largest river catchment flowing to the eastern coast of Australia. It is also the largest river basin that discharges onto the Great Barrier Reef.
Gracemere is a rural town and locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Gracemere had a population of 11,315 people.
Rockhampton Airport is a major Australian regional airport in West Rockhampton, Queensland that services the city of Rockhampton, with direct flights to various major centres in Queensland, as well as Melbourne in Victoria. Flights have previously operated to Sydney but were cancelled due to lack of passenger numbers. The airport runway has the capability to handle aircraft such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777.
Rockhampton City is the central suburb of the city of Rockhampton in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It is informally known as Rockhampton central business district (CBD). In the 2021 census, Rockhampton City had a population of 2,059 people.
The Fitzroy River Barrage is a mid-river dam system constructed on the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia which separates the tidal river into saltwater and freshwater sections. It was designed to dam the river, enabling a permanent water supply to be stored for the city and its surrounding communities as well as providing an agricultural water supply for registered rural users.
Duncan McMeekin is an independent Australian mediator and arbitrator and a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland in the Trial Division. He was born in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea and was educated at Nudgee College and the University of Queensland, graduating in economics and law. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1998 and was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2007, where he served until 2018.
Alexandra Railway Bridge is a heritage-listed railway bridge adjacent to North Street, Rockhampton, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Henry Charles Stanley and built from 1898 to 1899 by George Charles Willcocks. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
North Rockhampton railway station was a railway station in The Common, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia.
Port Curtis is a suburb of Rockhampton in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Port Curtis had a population of 281 people.
Lakes Creek is a suburb split between Rockhampton Region and Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census Lakes Creek had a population of 552 people.
Alton Downs is a rural locality in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Alton Downs had a population of 1,278 people.
Rockhampton Council Tramways was a steam tram service which was operated by Rockhampton City Council from 1909 until 1939 in the city of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Rockhampton was the only regional city in the state of Queensland to have had a tram service. The line has since been rebuilt and is operated as a tourist attraction by the Archer Park Rail Museum.
The Fitzroy Bridge was a suspension bridge that spanned the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia from 1881 until it was demolished in 1956.
The Neville Hewitt Bridge is a road bridge which spans the Fitzroy River in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It was officially opened by Queensland premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen on 16 August 1980.
The Rockhampton Showgrounds is a multipurpose recreational venue in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. It is situated in the suburb of Wandal.
Thompson Point is a coastal locality in the Livingstone Shire, Queensland, Australia. It was the site of a short-lived town and port called Broadmount. In the 2021 census, Thompson Point had a population of 4 people.
Rockhampton–Emu Park Road is a continuous 44.1 kilometres (27.4 mi) road route in the Rockhampton and Livingstone local government areas of Queensland, Australia. The route is designated as State Route 4 (Regional) and Tourist Drive 10. It is a state-controlled regional road.
Syeid Alam was an Australian man who was killed and then beheaded in Rockhampton, Queensland on 5 April 2016.
The North Rockhampton Cemetery is a cemetery in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, which was established in 1879.
