Grafton Bridge, New South Wales

Grafton Bridge
Grafton Bridge
	View of Grafton Bridge from the north bank of the Clarence River, August 2005
Coordinates	29°41′52.6″S152°56′31.5″E / 29.697944°S 152.942083°E Coordinates: 29°41′52.6″S152°56′31.5″E / 29.697944°S 152.942083°E
Carries	Motor vehicles, railway line, water supply, pedestrians
Crosses	Clarence River
Locale	Grafton, New South Wales, Australia
Maintained by	Roads and Maritime Services, NSW Government
Characteristics
Design	Bascule bridge
Material	Steel
Piers in water	7 concrete [1]
Clearance above	38 feet (12 m) [1]
Clearance below	11 feet (3.4 m) [1]
History
Constructed by	NSW Public Works (project manager); [1] ; Dorman Long (main contractor) [2]
Construction start	1922
Construction end	1932
Construction cost	£500,000 [1]
Inaugurated	19 July 1932 [1]

Last updated April 04, 2019

Grafton Bridge is a bascule bridge which spans the Clarence River in Grafton, New South Wales, Australia. It links the main townsite with South Grafton, and carries the North Coast railway line (part of the Sydney–Brisbane rail corridor).

Bascule bridge moveable bridge using a counterweight to balance a span through its upward swing to let boats move underneath

A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or "leaf", throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or double-leafed.

Clarence River (New South Wales) river in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, Australia

The Clarence River, a mature wave dominated, barrier estuary, is situated in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, Australia.

Grafton, New South Wales City in New South Wales, Australia

Grafton is a city in the Northern Rivers region of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located on the Clarence River, approximately 500 kilometres (310 mi) north-northeast of the state capital Sydney. The closest major cities, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, are located across the border in South-East Queensland. According to the 2016 census, the Grafton "significant urban area" had a population of 18,668 people. The city is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Clarence Valley Council local government area, which has over 50,000 people in all.

Design and features

Grafton Bridge over the Clarence River showing Bascule span lifted to let shipping through. (Postcard from about 1932; The Southern Cross aeroplane has been added to the photograph). GraftonBasculeBridgeSpanLiftingCirca1932.jpg — Grafton Bridge over the Clarence River showing Bascule span lifted to let shipping through. (Postcard from about 1932; The *Southern Cross* aeroplane has been added to the photograph).

The upper level of the bridge supports a two way road for traffic via Bent Street (Summerland Way), and its lower level supports a rail bridge that carries the North Coast railway line, a water main, and footbridges on either side.

The Summerland Way is a 199–kilometre state route, designated B91, in New South Wales. It runs generally north from Grafton to the border between NSW and Queensland just west of Mount Lindesay. The road continues from there into Queensland as Mount Lindesay Highway. With the decommissioning of the Mount Lindesay Highway in New South Wales in 1982, the length of the Summerland Way was increased by 9.4 km to the Queensland border. It is sealed for its entire length, although some of the road north of the Lions Road turn-off is narrow and winding. In 1996, the Federal Government committed $20 million toward upgrading the Summerland Way. A $7 million contract to realign 1.2 km at Dourrigan's Gap, approximately 16 km north of Kyogle, was awarded, with work starting in February 2002 and expected to take 12 months to complete.

North Coast railway line, New South Wales railway line in New South Wales, Australia

The North Coast Line is the primary rail route in the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers regions of New South Wales, Australia, and forms a major part of the Sydney–Brisbane rail corridor.

A bridge over the Clarence River in Grafton was first conceived in 1915. The original design called for a railway bridge with a footway, but in 1922 the design was changed to accommodate vehicular traffic as well. There is provision for a second track across the bridge but at this time it is being used as an easement for a water main. The Grafton Bridge was built by Dorman Long ^[2] and opened in 1932 by the Governor-General of Australia, Sir Isaac Isaacs.^[1]^[3]

Dorman Long is an engineering consultancy and equipment manufacturer for the construction of long-span bridges, power stations, refineries, offshore structures, stadia and other large building structures. Originally based in Middlesbrough, North East England, the company was a major steel producer later diversifying into bridge building. Dorman Long was once listed on the London Stock Exchange.

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative of the Australian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. As the Queen is shared equally with the 15 other Commonwealth realms, and resides in the United Kingdom, she, on the advice of her prime minister, appoints a governor-general to carry out constitutional duties within the Commonwealth of Australia. The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by parliament; issuing writs for election; and bestowing Australian honours.

Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge who served as the ninth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1931 to 1936. He had previously served on the High Court of Australia from 1906 to 1931, including as Chief Justice from 1930.

The bascule span was operational from its opening in 1932 until 1969.^[4] The bascule can no longer be raised due to an added water main. With the decline in shipping along the Clarence River, the opening span was sealed shut and it can no longer be opened.

Legend

Local legend has it that the blind corner on the northern end of bridge is because the roadway across the top of the bridge was originally intended to connect with Pound Street. According to the legend, a local councillor of the time owned a hotel on Fitzroy Street and wouldn't support building the bridge until the design was amended to connect with Fitzroy Street, directing traffic past his establishment, hence the unique kink in the northern roadway ramp. Contemporary news reports suggest that public opinion favoured the Fitzroy St approach eventually chosen, as opposed to a possible Pound St approach, as a matter of cost and so as to direct visitors to Grafton's main street rather than "through a lot of backyards."^[5]

Regardless of the truth of the legend, a more practical explanation for the kinks either side of the bridge is that the roadway has to clear the railway line below it, necessitating the bends in the bridge. The bends themselves present something of a dangerous situation for wide vehicles attempting to cross the bridge, and for travellers unaccustomed to the nuisance, which locals navigate at some speed, since the high iron sides of the narrow bridge obscure vision and threaten to prevent traffic flow if encountered by the vehicle. As a result of this, it is often necessary for smaller vehicles to stop prior to the bends to make way for larger vehicles which are unable to negotiate the bends while remaining in their own lane.

Additional crossing of the Clarence River

In 2002, the Government of New South Wales commissioned a study into an additional crossing, released in early 2003.^[3]

The Government of New South Wales, also referred to as the New South Wales Government or NSW Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales. It is currently held by a coalition of the Liberal Party and the National Party. The Government of New South Wales, a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, was formed in 1856 as prescribed in its Constitution, as amended from time to time. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, New South Wales has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Constitution of Australia regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth. Under the Australian Constitution, New South Wales ceded legislative and judicial supremacy to the Commonwealth, but retained powers in all matters not in conflict with the Commonwealth.

In October 2008, federal, state and local government representatives inspected the bridge, together with officials from Roads and Maritime Services (RMS). It was claimed that the existing bridge was not coping with the crossing of James Kidd . Estimates of replacing the bridge were in the range of A$100 million.^[6] In December 2012, RMS announced that a preferred option of an additional crossing of the Clarence River had been identified and went on public display for comment. RMS also announced that a final decision is expected during 2013.^[7]

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McLennan, Maxwell (19 July 1932). "Grafton Bridge: Today's opening". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia . Retrieved 16 March 2013.
1 2 "Grafton Bridge - two tenders received - Dorman Long & Co. Ltd the lower". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 June 1926. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
1 2 "Additional Crossing of the Clarence River: Feasibility Study Report" (PDF). NSW Roads and Traffic Authority. February 2003. ISBN 0731053702 . Retrieved 16 March 2013.
↑ Hauff, Maria (13 June 2007). "Grafton Bridge turns 75". ABC News. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 16 March 2013.
↑ "CLARENCE RIVER BRIDGE - ACCESS ON GRAFTON SIDE FITZROY STREET ROUTE CHOSEN". Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1915 - 1954). Daily Examiner. 9 July 1931. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
↑ "Funding doubts over second Grafton bridge". ABC News. Australia. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2013.
↑ "Additional crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton: Recommended preferred option display" (PDF). Community update. Roads and Maritime Services. December 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2013.

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[SMH-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McLennan, Maxwell (19 July 1932). "Grafton Bridge: Today's opening". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia . Retrieved 16 March 2013.

[dl-2] 1 2 "Grafton Bridge - two tenders received - Dorman Long & Co. Ltd the lower". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 June 1926. Retrieved 28 December 2013.

[RTA-3] 1 2 "Additional Crossing of the Clarence River: Feasibility Study Report" (PDF). NSW Roads and Traffic Authority. February 2003. ISBN 0731053702 . Retrieved 16 March 2013.

[4] Hauff, Maria (13 June 2007). "Grafton Bridge turns 75". ABC News. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 16 March 2013.

[5] "CLARENCE RIVER BRIDGE - ACCESS ON GRAFTON SIDE FITZROY STREET ROUTE CHOSEN". Daily Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1915 - 1954). Daily Examiner. 9 July 1931. Retrieved 4 July 2016.

[6] "Funding doubts over second Grafton bridge". ABC News. Australia. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2013.

[7] "Additional crossing of the Clarence River at Grafton: Recommended preferred option display" (PDF). Community update. Roads and Maritime Services. December 2012. Retrieved 16 March 2013.