Hoddle Bridge

Last updated

Hoddle Bridge
Punt road bridge.jpg
Coordinates 37°49′49″S144°59′16″E / 37.83028°S 144.98778°E / -37.83028; 144.98778
Carries Punt Road
Crosses Yarra River
Locale Melbourne, Australia
Owner VicRoads
Characteristics
DesignContinuous reinforced concrete T-beam
History
Opened22 December 1938 (1938-12-22)
Location
Hoddle Bridge

The Hoddle Bridge is a 1938 arch bridge that carries Punt Road over the Yarra River, connecting Richmond and South Yarra in Melbourne, Australia. [1]

History

A punt was first established at this point in the river in 1842, the name soon being attached to the new road through South Yarra to the south, which did not align with what is now Hoddle Street in Richmond. [2] In 1895, in connection with a new sewer line that was to cross the river, a footbridge was constructed, utilising steel Pratt trusses. [3] The trusses were later reused for a stock bridge over the Maribyrnong River. [4]

A road bridge was first urged by the Melbourne City Council in 1934, and an agreement reached with the State Government in 1936. [5] The Country Roads Board began construction of the bridge in late 1937, [6] with tenders for sub-contracted work (involving driving 240 concrete piles and the construction of four river piers) released. During 1937, the contractor drove all the piles and completed one pier, but owing to the slow rate of progress the contract was concluded and the work completed by direct labour under the Board's engineers. As no satisfactory tender was received for the construction of the abutments and super-structure, the work put in hand by the Board by direct labour. [6] Total cost was 77,009. [7]

Before construction of the bridge began, the nearest crossing for traffic was at the Morell Bridge, a half-mile downstream. Traffic conditions at this narrow bridge were very congested, as a considerable proportion of traffic which came down from the north along Punt Road was compelled to swing to the west to cross the river and thence again to the east for an extra mile. [7] Comparisons of traffic measurements taken in the vicinity before and after the bridge had opened had shown not only a decrease in total distance in crossing the river, but an increase of traffic of 17.38%. [7]

The bridge was originally referred to as Punt Road Bridge, [6] but was named after the surveyor Robert Hoddle upon opening by the Premier of Victoria Albert Dunstan on 22 December 1938. [8] [9] [10]

Description

It is a five-lane road bridge with footpaths on either side. It is constructed of reinforced concrete, supported on transverse piers aligned with the river but at an angle to the road, with five segmental arched spans of continuous T-beam construction, supported on, topped by concrete cross-beams supporting the roadway.

Decorative features are in the Art Deco style, namely wrought iron balustrade, and the pylons above each pier end, topped by more traditionally styled lamps.


References

  1. "Hoddle Bridge, Yarra River, Heritage Overlay HO281". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  2. "Advertising". Port Phillip Gazette. 31 December 1842. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  3. "NEW BRIDGE OVER THE YARRA". Herald. 7 May 1895. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  4. "VHD". Victorian Heritage Database. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  5. "NEW BRIDGE AT PUNT ROAD". Argus. 19 November 1936. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Country Roads Board Victoria. Twenty-Fifth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1938". Country Roads Board . Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 24 November 1938. pp. 34–35, 89.
  7. 1 2 3 "Country Roads Board Victoria. Twenty-Sixth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1939". Country Roads Board. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 10 November 1939. p. 5.
  8. "Advertising". Camperdown Chronicle . Vol. XLII, no. 7132. Victoria, Australia. 24 December 1938. p. 8. Retrieved 26 September 2016 via National Library of Australia., ...The Premier paid a tribute to the co-operation of the Melbourne City Council with the Government in the provision of Hoddle-bridge when he opened the bridge on Thursday...
  9. "AUSTRALASIAN NEWS IN BRIEF". Weekly Times . No. 3718. Victoria, Australia. 31 December 1938. p. 6. Retrieved 26 September 2016 via National Library of Australia., ..Hoddle Bridge, Melbourne's latest traffic link between the southern and northern municipalities at Punt Road, was officially opened last week by the Premier...
  10. "I'M TELLING THE WORLD". The Argus (Melbourne) . No. 31, 046. Victoria, Australia. 2 March 1946. p. 16 (The Argus Week-end Magazine). Retrieved 26 September 2016 via National Library of Australia., ...Hoddle Bridge, which now spans the Yarra at Punt rd, was opened to traffic on December 22, 1938, and named after Mr R. Hoddle the first surveyor of the City of Melbourne...