Victoria Bridge, Cambridge, New Zealand

Last updated

Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, Cambridge NewZealand1.jpg
Coordinates 37°53′58″S175°28′27″E / 37.899323°S 175.474217°E / -37.899323; 175.474217
CarriesMotor vehicles
Crosses Waikato River
Owner Waipa District Council
Heritage status
Designated21 September 1989
Reference no.4159
Preceded by Fergusson Bridge
Followed by The Narrows Bridge
Characteristics
Total length141 metres (463 ft)
Height35.4 metres (116 ft)
History
Construction startMay 1907
Opened21 December 1907
Location
Victoria Bridge, Cambridge, New Zealand

Victoria Bridge (or the High-level bridge) is a hinged braced arch, bridge in New Zealand, linking Cambridge with Leamington (developed after the bridge opened) [1] and spanning the Waikato River. [2]

Contents

Design

The bridge stretches 462 ft (141 m), including a 290 ft (88 m) central arch, is 17 ft (5.2 m) wide and has over 330 tons of steel and 20,000 rivets. The original specification was increased by the government engineer, Peter Seton Hay, adding 15 tons of steel and about 60% more to the concrete pillars, [3] which were made from local and imported cement, Te Kuiti limestone and Cambridge sand. [4]

The classification of the design has been disputed. [4] The heritage listing describes it as a cantilever bridge, [5] which was also used in some contemporary descriptions. [6] Possibly the confusion arose from a change of plan; the engineer, James Edward Fulton, wrote that an arch had been substituted for the original cantilever design. Others involved with the bridge were John Alexander Low Waddell, as consultant, G. M. Fraser, contractor, and S. W. Jones as resident engineer. [7]

The arch has three hinges, allowing it to be built by cantilevering from each bank, whilst anchored to the pillars, until it was complete and the anchors could be slackened to allow the hinges to put the weight on the arch. [4] This avoided the need for support from below, which might have been prone to flood damage. [5]

Origins and cost

The bridge scheme evolved over several years. In 1899 C W Hursthouse looked at the options, a 1901 meeting selected the present site [5] and, after visits in 1902 [8] and 1903 by Liberal MP, Sir Joseph Ward, who opened the Sanitorium at Maungakawa, government agreed to contribute. In March 1906 the components were ordered from American Bridge Co for £5078. [9] A year later, the contract was let to G M Fraser for £5692 [3] Building commenced in May 1907 and the bridge was opened by the Governor, Lord Plunket, on 21 December 1907. The £13,814 cost of the bridge was covered by £3,000 from government, with the rest shared by Cambridge Borough Council (30%), Pukekura Road Board (30%), Piako County Council (15%), Waipa County Council (15%) and Waikato County Council, (10%). [8]

Opening

The bridge was opened by the Governor, Lord Plunket, on 21 December 1907. He arrived by special train from Auckland, his carriage was escorted through the main streets by the army and there were large crowds, streamers and the town band. [10]

Earlier Cambridge bridges

Originally the only connection between the two places was by punt. Then the first bridge was built in 1870/71 by the armed constabulary for £1,500. [11] It was near river level, with some piers in the river. It was destroyed by a massive flood at 7.40 pm on 10 December 1875, as reported in the Waikato Times of 11 December, [12] and the story told in full on the paper of 14 December. [13] It was replaced by the Red Bridge in 1876 spanning the river upstream. That was a wooden truss girder bridge, 143 feet long and 14 feet wide, which cost £2345 and was 12 feet above the level of the 1870 bridge. [14] [5] but an undated photograph suggests one of the early bridges may have been on the site of the present Victoria Bridge. [15] The shaky state of the Red Bridge prompted the building of Victoria Bridge. Red Bridge was demolished in 1909. [5]

Today

The Victoria Bridge continues to be used by light motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. The bridge is restricted to vehicles under 3,000 kg (6,600 lb) gross weight, 3.0 m (9.8 ft) high and 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) wide. The speed limit on the bridge is 30 km/h (19 mph). [16] Larger and heavier vehicles use the Fergusson Bridge 500 m (1,600 ft) upstream.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton, New Zealand</span> City in North Island, New Zealand

Hamilton is an inland city in the North Island of New Zealand. Located on the banks of the Waikato River, it is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region. With a territorial population of 185,300, it is the country's fourth most-populous city. Encompassing a land area of about 110 km2 (42 sq mi), Hamilton is part of the wider Hamilton Urban Area, which also encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia, Te Awamutu and Cambridge. In 2020, Hamilton was awarded the title of most beautiful large city in New Zealand. Hamilton is now considered the fastest growing city in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waikato River</span> Longest river in New Zealand

The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for 425 kilometres (264 mi) through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It then drains Taupō at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the Huka Falls, and flows northwest through the Waikato Plains. It empties into the Tasman Sea south of Auckland, at Port Waikato. It gives its name to the Waikato region that surrounds the Waikato Plains. The present course of the river was largely formed about 17,000 years ago. Contributing factors were climate warming, forest being reestablished in the river headwaters and the deepening, rather than widening, of the existing river channel. The channel was gradually eroded as far up river as Piarere, leaving the old Hinuera channel through the Hinuera Gap high and dry. The remains of the old course are seen clearly at Hinuera, where the cliffs mark the ancient river edges. The Waikato's main tributary is the Waipā River, which converges with it at Ngāruawāhia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cambridge, New Zealand</span> Town in Waikato, New Zealand

Cambridge is a town in the Waipa District of the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated 24 kilometres (15 mi) southeast of Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions". The town has a population of 21,800, making it the largest town in the Waipa District, and the third largest urban area in the Waikato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ngāruawāhia</span> Town in Waikato, New Zealand

Ngāruawāhia is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-west of Hamilton at the confluence of the Waikato and Waipā Rivers, adjacent to the Hakarimata Range. Ngāruawāhia is in the Hamilton Urban Area, the fourth largest urban area in New Zealand. The location was once considered as a potential capital of New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Awamutu</span> Town in Waikato, New Zealand

Te Awamutu is a town in the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the council seat of the Waipa District and serves as a service town for the farming communities which surround it. Te Awamutu is located some 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Hamilton on State Highway 3, one of the two main routes south from Auckland and Hamilton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waipā River</span> River in New Zealand

The Waipā River is in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. The headwaters are in the Rangitoto Range east of Te Kūiti. It flows north for 115 kilometres (71 mi), passing through Ōtorohanga and Pirongia, before flowing into the Waikato River at Ngāruawāhia. It is the Waikato's largest tributary. The Waipā's main tributary is the Puniu River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waipā District</span> Territorial authority district in Waikato, New Zealand

Waipa District is a municipality in the Waikato region of New Zealand that is administered by the Waipa District Council. Its most populous town is Cambridge. The seat of the council is at the second most populous town, Te Awamutu. The district is south and south-east of the city of Hamilton. It has five wards: Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Pirongia, Maungatautari and Kakepuku.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton East, New Zealand</span> Suburb of Hamilton, New Zealand

Hamilton East is a suburb in central Hamilton in New Zealand. The suburb's primary commercial and retail precinct is located along Grey Street. Hamilton East is characterised by villas and bungalows built early in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairfield Bridge</span> New Zealand bridge

Fairfield Bridge is a tied-arch bridge on the Waikato River in Fairfield, Hamilton, New Zealand. It is one of six bridges in the city. It spans from River Road, on the east bank of the river, to Victoria Street, on the west side.

State Highway 21 (SH 21) is a short 6.7-kilometre (4.2 mi) stretch of highway in the North Island of New Zealand. It links State Highway 1, Waikato Expressway at Tamahere and State Highway 3 at Ōhaupō. Its main destination is Hamilton Airport and Mystery Creek, where the National Agricultural Fieldays are held.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ōpārau River</span> River in New Zealand

The Ōpārau River is a river of the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island in the area occupied by Ngāti Hikairo. It flows southwest from its sources in the Pirongia Forest Park, the highest being The Cone, and flows into the Kawhia Harbour, 5 kilometres (3 mi) east of Kawhia. The river has about 171 km (106 mi) of tributaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puniu River</span> River in New Zealand

The Puniu River is a river of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. As a tributary of the Waipā River, and at a length of 57 kilometres (35 mi), it is one of the longest secondary tributaries in New Zealand.

The Whangamarino River is a lowland river of the Waikato Region of New Zealand's North Island, draining the Whangamarino Wetland and associated farmland catchment. The river converges with the Waikato River just north of Meremere. The main tributary is the Maramarua River, which starts in the Hunua Ranges and forms the northern catchment of the Whangamarino River.

The Glen Massey Line was a private railway of 10.6 km near Ngāruawāhia in the Waikato region of New Zealand, built to serve coal mines, and, from 1935, run by the New Zealand Railways Department. The line had grades of 1 in 40, sharp curves - sharpest 6 ch and 40 of less than 10 ch - and 22 bridges, including a 91.5-metre-long and 18.3-metre-high timber trestle bridge over Firewood Creek halfway between Ngāruawāhia and Glen Massey and a 70-foot-long (21 m) bridge, adapted in 1917 to take sheep, on 52 ft (16 m) piles over the Waipā River, as well as the railway, after collapse of the road bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Highway 31 (New Zealand)</span> Road in New Zealand

State Highway 31 (SH 31) is a New Zealand state highway in the Waikato region. It provides a link to the harbour town of Kawhia on the west coast of the North Island.

Horotiu is a small township on the west bank of the Waikato River in the Waikato District of New Zealand. It is on the Waikato Plains 13 km (8.1 mi) north of Hamilton and 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Ngāruawāhia. From early in the 20th century it developed around a freezing works and other industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fergusson Bridge</span> Concrete bridge in Cambridge, New Zealand

Fergusson Bridge is a pre-cast, prestressed concrete bridge in Cambridge, New Zealand, spanning the Waikato River. It cost £41,000, was designed by North, Swarbrick, Mills & Westwood and opened in 1964. It was named after Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Massey</span> Village in Waikato region, New Zealand

Glen Massey is a former mining village, 9.5 km (5.9 mi) west of Ngāruawāhia, which was, until 1958, terminus of the Glen Massey Line. It then went into decline, but is now becoming a home for Hamilton commuters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitetuna</span> Village in Waikato region, New Zealand

Waitetuna is a rural community in the Waikato District and Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the valley of the Waitetuna River, upstream from the Raglan Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Te Rore</span> Locality in Waikato region, New Zealand

Te Rore was in the 1850s an important transhipment point on New Zealand's Waipā River, between the agriculture of the Waikato basin and its Auckland market. That was ended in 1864 by the Invasion of the Waikato, when Te Rore was, for a few months, part of the supply route to four redoubts set up nearby. It is now a rural community in the Waipa District, 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Pirongia and roughly the same distance south of Ngāhinapōuri on State Highway 39.

References

  1. "Leamington". Cambridge Museum. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  2. "Waikato River | Cambridge Museum". Cambridge Museum. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Cambridge High-Level Bridge". Waikato Independent. Vol. VI, no. 374. 18 May 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Waikato Independent". Waikato Independent. Vol. VII, no. 451. 21 December 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Victoria Street Bridge, Leamington". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand . Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  6. "The First Steel Cantilever Bridge in New Zealand". The New Zealand Herald . Vol. XLIV, no. 13624. 18 December 1907. p. 9. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. "Cambridge High Level Bridge". Waikato Times . Vol. LVII, no. 6934. 6 February 1906. p. 2. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Victoria Bridge, Cambridge". Auckland Star . Vol. XXXVIII, no. 305. 23 December 1907. p. 9. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  9. "Historic Buildings". Cambridge Museum. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  10. "Cambridge en Fete". Waikato Independent. Vol. VII, no. 451. 21 December 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  11. "Innovate NZTM Awards of Excellence, 1965–2015: 1966 – Fergusson Bridge, Cambridge". Association of Consulting Engineers NZ (ACENZ). 2015.
  12. Archived 2023-02-16 at the Wayback Machine [ dead link ]
  13. "THE FLOODS Waikato Times 14 December 1875". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  14. "Waikato River Bridge". Cambridge Museum. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  15. "Waikato river, Cambridge. Showing two bridge crossings. Possibly Fergusson Bridge and Victoria Bridge". Auckland Libraries . Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  16. "Bridges - Waipa District Council". www.waipadc.govt.nz. Retrieved 12 August 2023.

37°53′57.04″S175°28′27.03″E / 37.8991778°S 175.4741750°E / -37.8991778; 175.4741750