Gladesville Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gladesville Bridge(current bridge) |
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Gladesville Bridge, pictured in 2004
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| Coordinates | 33°50′31″S 151°08′52″E / 33.8420°S 151.1477°E |
| Carries | Victoria Road 
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| Crosses | Parramatta River |
| Locale | Drummoyne and Huntleys Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia () |
| Owner | Roads and Maritime Services |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Concrete arch road bridge |
| Total length | 579.4 metres (1,901 ft) |
| Height | 45 metres (148 ft) |
| Longest span | 305 metres (1,001 ft) |
| History | |
| Architect |
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| Construction cost | A£3,417,265 |
| Opened | 2 October 1964 by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent |
| Official name: Gladesville Bridge | |
| Type: | State heritage (built) |
| Designated: | 1 October 2014 |
| Reference #: | 1935 |
| Type: | Road Bridge |
| Category: | Transport - Land |
| Builders: |
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The Gladesville Bridge is a famous concrete arch road bridge in Sydney, Australia. It crosses the Parramatta River, connecting the suburbs of Huntleys Point and Drummoyne. Even though it's called Gladesville Bridge, it's not actually in Gladesville.
When this bridge was finished in 1964, it was the longest single concrete arch bridge ever built! It's much bigger than the nearby Fig Tree Bridge and Tarban Creek Bridge. The Gladesville Bridge was meant to be part of a big freeway project called the North Western Expressway. However, that project was stopped in 1977, so the bridge now connects to regular roads.
The Gladesville Bridge was designed by Anthony Gee, G. Maunsell & Partners, and Eugène Freyssinet. It was built between 1959 and 1964 by Reed & Mallik (from England) and Stuart Bros (from Sydney). Today, the bridge is owned by Roads and Maritime Services. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on October 1, 2014, because it's so important.
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A Glimpse into the Past
Europeans first settled in the Gladesville and Drummoyne areas of Sydney in the 1790s. Land was given out to encourage farming. For many years, Gladesville was a quiet, rural area. But in the 1850s, the land was divided into bigger blocks for wealthy people to build their homes.
The First Gladesville Bridge (1881)
| Gladesville Bridge (1881 bridge) |
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| Coordinates | 33°50′37″S 151°08′41″E / 33.843524°S 151.144589°E |
| Carries |
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| Crosses | Parramatta River |
| Locale | Drummoyne and Huntleys Point, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Other name(s) | Parramatta Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Truss girder bridge with swing span |
| Total length | 274 metres (900 ft) |
| Width | 8 metres (25 ft) (road) |
| Longest span | 46 metres (150 ft) |
| Number of spans | 5 + 1 |
| Clearance below | 6 metres (20 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | 11 February 1881 |
| Closed | 1964 |
To make it easier to get to Sydney, a wharf was built at Gladesville. Then, a two-lane steel bridge with a special "swing span" was built across the river. This first bridge, also called the Gladesville Bridge, opened on February 1, 1881.
You can still see parts of the old sandstone supports from this bridge on the river banks. This bridge carried both road traffic and trams, but it didn't have a path for people walking. It was the only way to cross the Parramatta River east of Parramatta at that time. Before this bridge, people used ferries to cross the river.
The old Gladesville Bridge was about 300 meters (980 feet) west of where the new bridge is now. It only had one lane of traffic in each direction. It also had a part that could swing open to let tall ships pass through. This was important for coal ships going to the gasworks at Mortlake. The old bridge stood on iron cylinders with sandstone piers at each end. Only these sandstone piers remain today.
Building the Current Bridge
By the 1950s, more and more cars were on the roads in Sydney. The old Gladesville Bridge became very crowded. Trams and ships often caused delays. It became clear that a new bridge was needed to help with the traffic.
At first, the Department of Main Roads (DMR) planned to build a steel bridge. But an English company, G. Maunsell & Partners, suggested a different idea: a concrete arch bridge. They believed it would be a better and cheaper solution.
A young engineer named Anthony Gee worked on the design. His drawings were reviewed by a famous engineer named Eugene Freyssinet, who was known for using "pre-stressed concrete." This new concrete arch bridge was planned to be 305 meters (1,000 feet) long and have six lanes.
The new Gladesville Bridge was meant to be part of a big road project called the North Western Expressway. This project aimed to connect Sydney with its northern suburbs and even Newcastle. Even though the expressway plan was later stopped, the new Gladesville Bridge started being built in December 1959. It took almost five years to finish. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent officially opened it on October 2, 1964.
The bridge first opened with six traffic lanes. Later, the lanes were changed to have three lanes going north and four lanes going south, with a concrete barrier in the middle.
How the Bridge Was Built
When the bridge was being planned, engineers thought very large ships might need to pass underneath it. That's why the bridge was designed to be very high, about 61 meters (200 feet) above the water.
Building the new Gladesville Bridge was a huge engineering achievement. It used new and daring ideas that set world standards. The construction was a bit like how the ancient Romans built arches. They used hollow concrete blocks that were lifted from boats on the river. These blocks were then moved into place along a temporary structure called a "formwork."
After every few blocks, special inflatable rubber "gaskets" were put in. Once all the blocks for an arch were in place (there are four parallel arches in total), these gaskets were filled with a special liquid. This made the arch expand and lift itself off the formwork. Once the arch was in the right spot, the gaskets were filled with liquid concrete, which then hardened to make a strong, permanent arch. The formwork was then moved, and the next arch was built the same way. After all four arches were up, the road deck was built on top using more concrete pieces. The arches rest on solid sandstone rock on both sides of the river.
The Gladesville Bridge was the first 305-meter (1,000-foot) concrete bridge in the world. It had many new engineering and technical features. It was also one of the first bridges ever to use computer programming in its design! The bridge designer, Anthony Gee, even wrote his own computer programs to help guide the construction.
This bridge was a huge success. It became the longest concrete arch bridge in the world, beating Sweden's Sando Bridge. It attracted attention from all over the world. The Gladesville Bridge is 305 meters (1,000 feet) long, 61 meters (200 feet) above the water, and 22 meters (72 feet) wide. It also has 1.8-meter (6-foot) wide paths on each side.
In the 1970s, the bridge's roadway was widened from six to seven lanes to handle more traffic. This was done by making the pedestrian walkways a bit narrower. Even with this change, the Gladesville Bridge looks pretty much the same as when it was finished in 1964.
On its 50th birthday in 2014, the Gladesville Bridge was recognized as an Engineering Heritage International Marker. In 2015, it was named an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Bridge Features
The Gladesville Bridge connects Gladesville (on the north side of the river) and Drummoyne (on the south and east sides). It's a concrete arch bridge with a main span of 305 meters (1,000 feet). The total length of the bridge, including the parts leading up to it, is 579.4 meters (1,901 feet). The road across the bridge has seven lanes for vehicles and paths on both sides.
The arch of the bridge is supported by strong concrete blocks. These blocks are set into the solid sandstone rock on each side of the Parramatta River. The bridge was built with four separate arches. Each arch was made from hollow concrete sections. These sections were put together on a temporary support system. Once all four arches were in place, they were joined together using special cables.
After the arches were complete, the support columns (called piers) were built. These piers hold up the bridge deck, which is the flat part you drive on. The deck is made of concrete beams that were put together on site. At the northern end, the bridge deck widens to allow traffic to split off onto Victoria Road and Burns Bay Road.
Current Condition
The Gladesville Bridge is still used every day by lots of cars and trucks. It is in good physical condition because it is regularly looked after and maintained.
Changes Over Time
In the 1970s, the bridge's road was made wider, going from six to seven lanes. This was done to help with the increasing traffic. To make space, the pedestrian walkways on both sides of the road were made a bit narrower. Some fencing on the north-eastern side of the bridge also seems to have been added later.
Walking and Cycling Paths
The bridge has footpaths on both sides. The path on the west side is less than a meter wide, which is too narrow for cycling. The path on the east side is meant for both bikes and walkers. However, it's only about 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) wide. It has a low barrier on the road side and a 2-meter (6.6-foot) fence on the river side. These barriers make the path effectively about 1 meter (3.3 feet) wide for people going in both directions.
To get to the northern end of the bridge, walkers and cyclists use a tunnel under the bridge from Huntleys Point Road. The bridge is not easy to use for people in wheelchairs.
Why the Bridge is Special
The Gladesville Bridge is very important to the history of New South Wales. When it was finished in 1964, it was the longest concrete arch bridge in the world, at 305 meters (1,000 feet). It held this record for 15 years! It's one of only two bridges of its kind in NSW.
This bridge is a great example of amazing technical and engineering work. Its design was very new and set global standards for how bridges could be built. It was also one of the first bridges in the world to use computers in its construction. Because of its unique design and the famous engineers who worked on it, the Gladesville Bridge is considered one of the world's landmark engineering achievements.
The Gladesville Bridge is important because it shows how much bridge design and construction have improved in NSW. From the top of the arch, you can see other important Sydney bridges like the Sydney Harbour Bridge (built in 1932) and the ANZAC Bridge (built in 1995). The Gladesville Bridge replaced an older swing bridge and ferry service, showing how transport across the Parramatta River has changed over time.
Awards for Engineering
The Gladesville Bridge has received special awards for its engineering. It got an Engineering Heritage International Marker from Engineers Australia. It also received an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Gallery
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The view of Sydney from the current Gladesville Bridge
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The western side of the Gladesville Bridge
Images for kids
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Daytime view of Parramatta River from Gladesville Bridge facing east
