Iron Cove Bridge

Last updated

Iron Cove Bridge
Iron Cove Bridge.JPG
The heritage-listed truss Iron Cove Bridge, pictured in 2006
Coordinates 33°51′32″S151°09′44″E / 33.858905°S 151.162254°E / -33.858905; 151.162254
Carries Victoria Road AUS Alphanumeric Route A40.svg
Crosses Iron Cove
Locale City of Canada Bay, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Begins Drummoyne (west)
Ends Rozelle (east)
Other name(s)RTA Bridge No. 65
Owner Transport for NSW
Characteristics
DesignPratt truss bridge
MaterialSteel
Trough construction Reinforced concrete
Total length461.26 metres (1,513 ft)
Width13.7 metres (45 ft)
Longest span52 metres (171 ft)
No. of spans11: 4 approach; 7 bridge
Clearance below 12 metres (39 ft)
History
DesignerLaurie Challis
Contracted lead designer NSW Department of Main Roads
Fabrication by Clyde Engineering Co. Ltd
Construction start1947
OpenedJuly 1955 (1955-07)
ReplacesIron Cove Bridge (1882–1955)
Official nameIron Cove Bridge; RTA Bridge No. 65
TypeState heritage (built)
Designated21 July 2003
Reference no.s.170
TypeRoad Bridge
CategoryTransport – Land
Location
Iron Cove Bridge
References
[1]

The Iron Cove Bridge is a heritage-listed road bridge that carries Victoria Road (A40) across Iron Cove, between the Sydney suburbs of Drummoyne and Rozelle. Iron Cove is an arm of Sydney Harbour (Port Jackson).

Contents

First bridge

Iron Cove Bridge
(former)
Iron Cove Bridge Picture 5.jpg
Coordinates 33°51′32″S151°09′44″E / 33.858905°S 151.162254°E / -33.858905; 151.162254
Characteristics
Material Wrought iron
Total length347 metres (1,137 ft 3 in)
Width7 metres (24 ft)
Longest span38 metres (126 ft)
No. of spans9
Piers in water8
History
Construction startApril 1878
Opened22 November 1882
Replaced byIron Cove Bridge (1955–current)
References
[2]

The original Iron Cove Bridge was constructed of nine wrought iron lattice girder spans each 38.5 m long, and opened in 1882 after four years of construction. In conjunction with the opening of the first Gladesville Bridge the previous year, the opening of the bridge provided a ferry-free route for road traffic from Sydney via Drummoyne to the Ryde area and then in 1885, with the opening of the first Fig Tree Bridge across the Lane Cove River, to the North Shore.

All that remains at Iron Cove of the original bridge are the sandstone abutments situated on both sides of the cove approximately 20 metres (66 ft) south of the current bridge. The abutment on the Drummoyne side is listed on the local government heritage list. [3]

Reuse of Bridge Components

When the replacement bridge was opened in 1955, Gordon Duff, the Shire Engineer for Jemalong Shire Council (now part of Forbes Shire) negotiated with the Department of Main Roads to buy the lattice girders from the original bridge for £18,000 and had them transported to Forbes, and they were re-used by Jemalong Shire to build a number of bridges. Because of their good resistance to corrosion and the relatively low humidity in the area, all nine of the 1882 bridge's pairs of girders are still in use in three bridges on country roads in the Forbes district. [4] The longest of these is the Bundaburrah Creek bridge on New Grenfell Road 9 km southeast of Forbes, for which five of the nine pairs of girders were reused. This bridge opened in March 1961. The Mafeking Bridge over Back Creek on Wirrinya Rd 30 km south of the Newell Hwy used one pair of trusses. However this bridge was replaced by a new two-span bridge in mid 2023.

Current bridges

A decision to replace the original bridge was made in 1939 just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Design work began in 1942 but due to the Second World War construction by Hornibrook McKenzie Clarke Pty Ltd was unable to be commenced until 1947. The bridge was officially opened by the Hon. J.J. Cahill, MLA, Premier and Colonial Treasurer of NSW on 30 July 1955.

Designed by Laurie Challis from the NSW Department of Main Roads, the Iron Cove Bridge is an impressive steel truss bridge. It consists of four 18-metre (59 ft) plate girder approach spans and seven 52-metre (171 ft) steel Pratt truss spans for a total length of 461.26 metres (1,513 ft). Four lanes of traffic are located within the truss spans and the overall width of the roadway is 13.7 metres (45 ft) between kerbs. The roadway consists of a 127-millimetre (5 in) reinforced concrete deck slab with an inset for tram tracks in the centre portion. [5]

The bridge has aesthetically distinctive piers and abutments which reflect the Inter-War Art Deco style. Furthermore, it was the last steel truss bridge to be constructed in New South Wales in which rivets were used for field connections prior to the introduction of high strength bolts. [5]

The bridge was built to carry four lanes of traffic, however a fifth lane was later added to the southwest side of the bridge, cantilevered outside the trusses, forcing traffic to remain in the lane for the length of the bridge. Until the bridge duplication was completed in 2011, the default configuration was three westbound and two eastbound lanes, switching to two westbound and three eastbound lanes during the morning peak.

Bridge duplication

Iron Cove Bridge
(duplication)
New iron cove bridge, new south wales.jpg
Coordinates 33°51′32″S151°09′44″E / 33.858905°S 151.162254°E / -33.858905; 151.162254
CarriesVictoria Road
Characteristics
Design Box girder
MaterialConcrete
History
Construction startJuly 2009 (2009-07)
Opened28 January 2011 (2011-01-28)

In April 2009, the NSW Government approved plans to construct a second bridge over Iron Cove as part of the Inner West Busway along Victoria Road. [6]

During the proposal phase there were strong protests against the duplicate bridge being built from local residents as well as both local area councils of the City of Canada Bay (Drummoyne side) and Leichhardt (Rozelle side). Local residents within both Drummoyne and Rozelle formed the Victoria Road Community [7] and organised public demonstrations, the last of which on 29 March 2009 attracted over 3000 protest marchers. [8] Opposition to the new bridge was based on independent evaluations concluding that there would be only slight improvements to traffic congestion citybound on Victoria Road during peak hour while local congestion would worsen. Additionally, parkland on both sides of the new bridge would be reduced and independent environmental studies showed the local environment detrimentally impacted by the new bridge construction.[ citation needed ]

Work on the duplicate bridge commenced in July 2009 and the bridge was opened to traffic late on 28 January 2011. [9] The new bridge was constructed on the western side of the 1955 bridge and carries three westbound traffic lanes with one lane designated as a morning peak bus lane. There is also a 4.3-metre-wide (14 ft) grade-separated shared pedestrian footpath and cycleway on the western side of the new bridge which connects to both The Bay Run and Victoria Road. The 1955 bridge now carries three citybound traffic lanes and a 24-hour bus lane. The additional lane of the 1955 bridge outside the bridge supports was closed and is now only used for maintenance reasons.


See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gladesville Bridge</span> Bridge in Sydney, Australia

Gladesville Bridge is a heritage-listed concrete arch road bridge that carries Victoria Road over the Parramatta River, linking the Sydney suburbs of Huntleys Point and Drummoyne, in the local government areas of Canada Bay and Hunter's Hill, in New South Wales, Australia. Despite its name, the bridge is not in Gladesville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drummoyne</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Drummoyne is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Drummoyne is six kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Canada Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampden Bridge, Kangaroo Valley</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

Hampden Bridge is a heritage-listed single-span suspension bridge that carries Moss Vale Road (B73) across the Kangaroo River, in Kangaroo Valley, in the City of Shoalhaven local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The bridge was designed by Ernest de Burgh and built by Loveridge and Hudson. The property is owned by Transport for NSW. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 August 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fig Tree Bridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Fig Tree Bridge is a road bridge that carries Burns Bay Road across the Lane Cove River, and connects the suburbs of Hunters Hill in the south and Linley Point in the north, located approximately seven kilometres northwest of the central business district of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The concrete girder bridge carries motor vehicles, and a grade-separated footpath and cycleway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Uglys Bridge</span> Australian road bridge

Tom Uglys Bridge are two road bridges, completed in 1929 and 1987, that carry the Princes Highway across the Georges River in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The bridges link the St George area at Blakehurst to the Sutherland Shire at Sylvania. Tom Uglys Bridge is one of six major road crossings of Georges River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfords Point Bridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

Alfords Point Bridge is a twin 445-metre-long (1,460 ft) concrete and steel box girder road bridge that carries Alford Point Road as state route A6 across the lower Georges River between Padstow Heights in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown and Alfords Point in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Bridge, Penrith</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Victoria Bridge, also known as the Victoria Bridge over the Nepean River, is a heritage-listed former railway bridge and now wrought iron box plate girder road bridge across the Nepean River on the Great Western Highway in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith in the City of Penrith local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The bridge was designed by John Whitton, the Engineer–in–Chief of New South Wales Government Railways, and built from 1862 to 1867 by William Piper, Peto Brassey and Betts (superstructure), William Watkins (piers). It is also known as Victoria Bridge, The Nepean Bridge and RTA Bridge No. 333. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 27 May 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spit Bridge</span> Bridge across the Middle Harbour in Sydney, Australia

The Spit Bridge, a steel and concrete girder bridge with a bascule lift span across the Middle Harbour, is located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north-east of the central business district in Sydney, Australia. The bridge carries The Spit Road (A8) from a point called The Spit, and connects the suburbs of Mosman, on the south bank and Seaforth, on the north bank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fullers Bridge</span> Road bridge in suburban Sydney, Australia

Fullers Bridge, officially called the Fullers Creek Bridge, is a road bridge that carries Delhi Road to Millwood Avenue across the Lane Cove River, in Chatswood West, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The concrete beam bridge is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) northwest of the Sydney central business district and connects Chatswood to North Ryde as part of the A38.

De Burghs Bridge is a road bridge that carries the Lane Cove Road, part of the A3, across the Lane Cove River in Macquarie Park, Sydney, Australia. The bridge stretches from Macquarie Park in the south to West Pymble in the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Road, Sydney</span> Road in Sydney, Australia

Victoria Road is a major road in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting Parramatta with Rozelle and is currently one of the longest roads in Sydney. The road passes over two major bridges: the Iron Cove Bridge over Iron Cove, and the Gladesville Bridge over the Parramatta River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peats Ferry Bridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Peats Ferry Bridge is a steel truss bridge that carries the Pacific Highway (B83) across the Hawkesbury River, between Kangaroo Point and Mooney Mooney Point, located 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. The bridge carries the Hornsby to Kariong section of highway, while the adjacent Brooklyn Bridge carries the Pacific Motorway (M1).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taemas Bridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Taemas Bridge is a two-lane road bridge that carries the Wee Jasper Road across the Murrumbidgee River, at the settlement of Taemas, near Wee Jasper in the Yass Valley Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The bridge crosses on the river just before it enters Lake Burrinjuck, which has been created by the Burrinjuck Dam. The bridge is a key part of the road between Yass and Wee Jasper, and from there, to Tumut. The bridge is located approximately 26 kilometres (16 mi) from Yass and 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Wee Jasper. The property is owned by Transport for NSW. Under the Heritage Act, 1977 (NSW) s 170, the bridge was added to the New South Wales State agency heritage register on 18 August 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepean River railway bridge, Menangle</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Nepean River railway bridge is a heritage-listed railway bridge that carries the Main Southern railway line across Menangle Road and the Nepean River located at the outer south-western Sydney settlement of Menangle in the Wollondilly Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by John Whitton as the Engineer-in-Chief, of the New South Wales Government Railways and NSW Department of Public Works. The railway bridge was built in 1863 by Messers Peto, Brassey and Betts. It is also known as Menangle rail bridge over Nepean River and Menangle Railway Bridge. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray River bridge, Barham</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Murray River bridge is a heritage-listed road bridge that carries Main Road across the Murray River located at Barham in the Murray River Council local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Department of Public Works and built in 1904 by John Monash. The bridge is also known as the Barham Bridge over Murray River and the Barham bridge. The bridge is owned by the Murray River Council and was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray River road bridge, Swan Hill</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Murray River road bridge is a heritage-listed road bridge that carries Swan Hill Road across the Murray River, on the border between New South Wales and Victoria, Australia. The bridge connects Murray Downs in New South Wales with McCallum Street in Swan Hill, Victoria. The bridge was built in 1896 and is owned by Transport for NSW. The bridge is also called the Swan Hill Bridge and the Swan Hill-Murray River Road Bridge. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2000.

The Junction Bridge is a heritage-listed road bridge that carries the Tumut Plains Road across the Tumut River, from Tumut to Tumut Plains in New South Wales, Australia. The bridge is owned by Transport for NSW. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tunks Creek Bridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Tunks Creek Bridge is a heritage-listed timber truss road bridge that carries Galston Road across Tunks Creek, in Galston, New South Wales, Australia. The bridge spans Tunks Creek in the valley of the Galston Gorge. The road through the gorge provides a link between Hornsby Heights and Galston, suburbs of Sydney. The bridge is also known as the Bridge over Tunks (Pearces) Creek and Pearces Creek Bridge. The bridge is owned by Transport for NSW. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 20 June 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Cove Creek railway viaducts, Lewisham</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Long Cove Creek railway viaducts are heritage-listed railway viaducts which carry the Main Suburban railway line over Long Cove Creek between the suburbs of Lewisham and Summer Hill in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The viaducts were designed and built by the New South Wales Government Railways. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimo Road railway underbridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Ultimo Road railway underbridge is a heritage-listed former railway bridge located on the former Darling Harbour goods railway line in the inner city Sydney suburb of Ultimo in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by engineering staff in the Existing Lines branch of the New South Wales Public Works Department and built in 1879. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

References

  1. ↑ "Bridge Ahoy! Iron Cove Bridge". Bridge Ahoy!. Information and Cultural Exchange. 2014. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2015. Bridge Ahoy! A Curated tour of the Bridges of Sydney Harbour. Created for Sydney Architecture Festival 2014 by Information and Cultural Exchange. Supported By Roads and Maritime Services
  2. ↑ "OPENING OF THE IRON COVE BRIDGE". The Sydney Morning Herald . No. 13, 938. New South Wales, Australia. 30 November 1882. p. 13. Retrieved 4 November 2016– via Trove, National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "Iron Cove Bridge Abutment". New South Wales Heritage Database. Office of Environment & Heritage . Retrieved 25 December 2006.
  4. ↑ "Sydney Travellers' Guide: Sydney Harbour Vantage Points". 13 January 2015. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. 1 2 "Iron Cove Bridge". New South Wales State Heritage Register . Department of Planning & Environment . Retrieved 14 April 2020. CC BY icon.svg Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC-BY 4.0 licence .
  6. ↑ "$100 Million Victoria Road Upgrade" (Press release). New South Wales Government. 20 November 2006.
  7. ↑ "Victoria Road Community Committee Inc". Archived from the original on 13 October 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Protesters carry bridge row to the street". The Sydney Morning Herald . AAP. 30 March 2009.
  9. ↑ O'rourke, Jim (30 January 2011). "Inner-west's bridge of sighs". The Sydney Morning Herald .

Attribution

CC BY icon-80x15.png This Wikipedia article contains material from Iron Cove Bridge , entry number s.170 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2020 under CC-BY 4.0 licence , accessed on 14 April 2020.

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Iron Cove Bridge at Wikimedia Commons

33°51′32″S151°09′44″E / 33.858905°S 151.162254°E / -33.858905; 151.162254

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.