Tasman Bridge Facts for Kids

Tasman Bridge, Hobart

The Tasman Bridge is a big bridge with five lanes in Hobart, Tasmania. It crosses the Derwent River, connecting different parts of the city. Before this bridge, there was an older floating bridge that could lift up to let ships pass. Building the Tasman Bridge started in April 1960 and it was ready by December 1964. It was officially opened in March 1965. The bridge is named after Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer who was the first European to visit Tasmania way back in 1642.

Building the Tasman Bridge
When the Bridge Collapsed
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Building the Tasman Bridge

The Tasman Bridge is very long, stretching 4,650 ft (1,417 m) (about 1,417 meters) in total. About 3,500 ft (1,067 m) (1,067 meters) of it is over the water. The bridge is built with strong concrete columns that hold up the road where cars drive.

It has 19 smaller sections, called viaduct spans, each about 140 ft (43 m) (43 meters) long.
There's a main section for ships to pass under, which is 310 ft (94 m) (94 meters) wide.
Two other sections, each 197 ft (60 m) (60 meters) wide, also allow ships to go underneath.
The bridge is 150 ft (46 m) (46 meters) above the average water level.
The columns supporting the bridge go deep into the ground, resting on solid rock. In some spots, this rock was more than 300 ft (91 m) (91 meters) below the surface!

When the Bridge Collapsed

On January 5, 1975, a large ship called the SS Lake Illawarra crashed into the Tasman Bridge. The ship was carrying 10,000 tons of zinc concentrate. This accident caused two of the bridge's columns and three sections of the road to fall into the river.

The ship sank quickly in the deep water. Sadly, five people in cars on the bridge fell into the river and died. Seven members of the ship's crew also lost their lives. Some cars managed to stop just in time, with their front wheels hanging over the broken edge.

The bridge collapse made it very difficult for people living on the east side of the Derwent River to get into the city. They had to drive about 50 kilometers (31 miles) to go around the river. A temporary bridge, called a Bailey bridge, was quickly put in place. This temporary bridge was the longest Bailey bridge ever built at that time. The Tasman Bridge was repaired and opened again to traffic on October 8, 1977.