West Toodyay Bridge facts for kids

The West Toodyay Bridge in 2015.

The West Toodyay Bridge crosses the Avon River in West Toodyay, Western Australia. This important bridge helps people travel across the river.

Building the Bridge

The West Toodyay Bridge was built a long time ago, in 1902. It cost about £500 to build. The bridge was made from timber (wood). It was about 4 metres (13 ft) wide and 120 metres (390 ft) long. At first, only one vehicle could cross the bridge at a time.

Before the Bridge

The old river crossing, called a ford.

Before the bridge was built, people crossed the river using a natural ford. A ford is a shallow place in a river where you can walk or drive across. This ford was very close to where the bridge is now.

Upgrades and Changes

The West Toodyay Bridge is still in its original spot today. But it has been changed and improved many times over the years.

Early Repairs

In 1958, the wooden top part of the bridge, called the deck, was replaced.

Big Upgrade in 1988

The underside of the bridge, showing how it was built and widened in 1985.

In 1985, a very heavy truck damaged the bridge. Workers checked the bridge and found that some of its wooden support poles, called piles, were rotten. To keep everyone safe, a limit was placed on how much weight the bridge could hold.

Three years later, in 1988, the bridge got a big upgrade. It was made wider so that two lanes of traffic could cross at once. The old wooden piles were replaced with strong steel ones. Some of the wooden beams, called stringers, were also replaced. The rest of the bridge's structure was still in good shape. The wooden deck was then covered with a layer of concrete.

On November 30, 1988, the West Toodyay Bridge officially reopened.