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Hampden Bridge (Wagga Wagga)
Encyclopedia
Hampden Bridge is a wooden Allan Truss bridge over the Murrumbidgee River
in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
which opened to traffic on 11 November 1895 and was closed in October 1995 when the Wiradjuri Bridge opened. The bridge is 100.5 metres (329.7 ft) long with each of the 3 truss spans 33.5 metres (109.9 ft) long. Hampden Bridge was the first large overhead-braced truss bridge designed by Percy Allan
. The bridge was originally designed to be a steel-built bridge; however, the tenders were too expensive so timber was used as an alternative. Hampden Bridge replaced the Wagga Wagga Company Bridge, a toll bridge over the Murrumbidgee River
that was constructed in 1862.
The Roads and Traffic Authority
handed over the Hampden Bridge to the Wagga Wagga City Council after the bridge was closed to traffic in October 1995. However, the local historic landmark stayed open to pedestrian
s as a route between the suburb of North Wagga and the City of Wagga Wagga.
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
which opened to traffic on 11 November 1895 and was closed in October 1995 when the Wiradjuri Bridge opened. The bridge is 100.5 metres (329.7 ft) long with each of the 3 truss spans 33.5 metres (109.9 ft) long. Hampden Bridge was the first large overhead-braced truss bridge designed by Percy Allan
Percy Allan
Percy Allan was a civil engineer who had responsibility for the design of a large number of public works in New South Wales, including the design of 583 bridges.- Early life :...
. The bridge was originally designed to be a steel-built bridge; however, the tenders were too expensive so timber was used as an alternative. Hampden Bridge replaced the Wagga Wagga Company Bridge, a toll bridge over the Murrumbidgee River
Murrumbidgee River
The Murrumbidgee River is a major river in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory . A major tributary of the Murray River, the Murrumbidgee flows in a west-northwesterly direction from the foot of Peppercorn Hill in the Fiery Range of the Snowy Mountains,...
that was constructed in 1862.
Roads and Traffic Authority
The Roads and Traffic Authority is a former New South Wales government agency that was responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed State roads and provided funding to local councils for regional and local roads...
handed over the Hampden Bridge to the Wagga Wagga City Council after the bridge was closed to traffic in October 1995. However, the local historic landmark stayed open to pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s as a route between the suburb of North Wagga and the City of Wagga Wagga.
Issues and news
- 16 August 2006 - the Hampden Bridge was closed to pedestrianPedestrianA pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s indefinitely after the Wagga Wagga City Council found that the bridge deck had dropped 50 centimetres (20 in) after one of the trusses failed. A safety report by the Roads and Traffic AuthorityRoads and Traffic AuthorityThe Roads and Traffic Authority is a former New South Wales government agency that was responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed State roads and provided funding to local councils for regional and local roads...
stated that the bridge could fall down any day due to it being in a state of disrepair. Wagga Wagga City Council looked into ways to prop up the failed section with other options of possibly demolishing the bridge.
- 25 August 2006 - Wagga Wagga City Council reported that it could cost $Australian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
30,000 for emergency stabilisation with other costs such as $Australian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
10,000 or more for a structural assessment and $25,000 to prepare for tenders for the repairs to make the Hampden Bridge safe.
- 28 August 2006 - At the Wagga Wagga City Council's monthly meeting the Council decided on emergency stabilisation work, structural soundness assessment, heritage assessment and costs into demolition of the bridge. CrCouncillorA councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Peter Dale argued that demolition was the only option since that keeping the Hampden Bridge would cost the Wagga Wagga City Council hundreds of thousands of dollars to maintain after an engineer looked at the bridge and estimated that the cost for repairs would be $100,000.
- 25 September 2006 - Wagga Wagga City Council approved on whether or not they should use $30,000 from cash reserves for repairs or for demolition of the bridge. A report by Harry Trueman from the Institute of Engineers Australia stated that the Hampden Bridge was one of the biggest and most important timber bridges in the state since it was originally built to take produce from the RiverinaRiverinaThe Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
to Sydney; however he was not confident that the Hampden Bridge could be saved due to the amount of money need to restoring it to a good condition, which would cost the Council millions of dollarsAustralian dollarThe Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
and involve high ongoing maintenance costs.
- 27 February 2008 - Wagga Wagga City Council approved $300,000 to make the bridge structurally safe. In November 2007 councillors attended a number of workshops on estimated costs of rehabilitation and demolition. The cost of rehabilitation was estimated to be $1.5 millionMillionOne million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
and demolition $1.6 millionMillionOne million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
.
- August 2008 - a 39 metres (128 ft) metal truss was placed on the failed section of the Hampden Bridge, to raise the deck for repair, which used railway tracks to put it in place.