Bolte Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bolte Bridge |
|
|---|---|
The Bolte Bridge from the Melbourne Docklands
|
|
| Coordinates | 37°49′10.12″S 144°55′55.65″E / 37.8194778°S 144.9321250°E |
| Carries | 8 lanes (4 inbound, 4 outbound) |
| Crosses | Yarra River |
| Locale | Melbourne, Australia |
| Maintained by | Transurban |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cantilever, box girder bridge |
| Total length | 5000 metres |
| Width | 15.35 metres |
| Longest span | 173 metres |
| Clearance below | Approx 25 metres |
| History | |
| Opened | 16 August 1999 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | Approx 50,000 |
| Toll | A$3.42 (one way) |
The Bolte Bridge is a very big road bridge in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is a special type of bridge called a cantilever bridge. This means it is built using strong beams that stick out from its supports. The bridge has eight lanes for cars, with four lanes going in each direction.
Even though the main bridge part is about 490 metres long, the whole structure looks much longer. It is actually part of a 5-kilometre elevated road. This road connects Flemington Road to the West Gate Freeway. The Bolte Bridge crosses over the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour. These are in the Docklands area, just west of the Melbourne CBD.
The bridge is an important part of the CityLink toll road system. This system helps connect different freeways around Melbourne. It links the Tullamarine Freeway in the north to the West Gate Freeway and the Domain and Burnley tunnels. These tunnels then lead to the Monash Freeway in the south-eastern suburbs. The bridge is named after Sir Henry Bolte. He was Victoria's 38th Premier and served for a very long time.
Contents
Building the Bolte Bridge
How the Bridge Was Designed
The Bolte Bridge was designed by a group of architects called Denton Corker Marshall. It was built for the main company, Transurban, by Baulderstone Hornibrook. The construction of this huge bridge took three years, from 1996 to 1999. It cost about $75 million to build.
Why the Bridge Has Its Name
Jeff Kennett, who was also a premier of Victoria, named the bridge after Sir Henry Bolte. He chose this name because the bridge connects several major freeways. These freeways – the West Gate, Monash, and Tullamarine Freeways – were projects that Sir Henry Bolte's government started or finished.
Special Features of the Bridge
The Bolte Bridge is the largest balanced cantilever bridge of its kind in Australia. It is made of two separate bridges. These bridges are built from strong concrete box girders. They have a small gap of 1.15 metres between them.
The bridge also has two tall silver towers, each 140 metres high. These towers stand on either side of the road in the middle of the bridge. They were added by the architects to make the bridge look more interesting. The towers are not actually connected to the main part of the bridge. They are hollow inside and have ladders that go up to a small hatch on the roof.
The bridge has two main sections, each 173 metres long. It also has two side sections, each 72 metres long. There are also long approach roads leading up to the bridge. The bridge carries eight lanes of car traffic. For safety reasons, bicycles and people walking are not allowed on the bridge.
Other Similar Bridges
There are other bridges in Australia that are built in a similar way. These include the Gateway Bridge, Brisbane and the Mooney Mooney Bridge. The Mooney Mooney Bridge is located near Gosford, north of Sydney.
Gallery
-
Aerial panorama of Docklands facing the Bolte Bridge
-
Bolte Bridge, looking back to the Melbourne CBD
-
The Bolte Bridge at night, with Etihad Stadium, and Melbourne CBD in the background
-
Bolte Bridge taken from Docklands
-
Bolte Bridge from the base of the bridge
-
Bolte Bridge at dusk
-
View of the bridge from the bank of the Yarra River
-
Bolte Bridge seen from Docklands, Melbourne
