Church Street Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church Street Bridge |
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| Carries | Road, trams, pedestrians |
| Crosses | Yarra River, Monash Freeway |
| Locale | Melbourne, Australia |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Reinforced concrete arch bridge |
| History | |
| Opened | 1923 |
The Church Street Bridge is an important road arch bridge in Melbourne, Australia. It helps cars, trams, and people cross the Yarra River and the Monash Freeway. This bridge connects Church Street in Richmond on the north side with Chapel Street in South Yarra on the south side.
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History of the Church Street Bridge
The very first bridge at this spot was built in 1857. It was an iron girder bridge. This bridge was actually bought from the British government after the Crimean War. It was then taken apart and rebuilt here with strong stone supports.
Building the Current Bridge
The bridge you see today was designed by Harold Desbrowe Annear. It first opened in 1923. This bridge has three strong arches made from reinforced concrete. These arches are supported by deep foundations underground.
When it was first built, all three arches went over the Yarra River. But in the 1960s, a big road called the South Eastern Arterial was built. The river was moved away from under the northern arch. A four-lane road was built there instead.
Changes to the Bridge Over Time
Because the new road needed more space, the northern arch of the bridge was changed in the 1990s. Parts of this arch were removed. They were replaced with new, taller sections. This made more room for traffic on the road underneath.
Keeping the Bridge Strong
In January 2007, important repair work was done on the bridge by VicRoads. This included making the concrete deck waterproof. They also replaced the tram tracks and resurfaced the road. For this work, the road and tram lines had to be closed completely for a short time.
More work started in April 2007. This involved replacing the railings along the sides of the bridge. New safety barriers were also added at the edges of the road.
The Church Street Bridge is a special landmark. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. This means it is protected because of its history and importance.
