The Horseshoe Bridge is a traffic bridge located in the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 of the city of Perth

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

, Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

.

The bridge runs along William Street

William Street, Perth

William Street is a suburban distributor and one of two major cross-streets in Perth, Western Australia.Commencing in western Mount Lawley it also crosses the Perth to Fremantle railway at the Horseshoe Bridge....

 and crosses over the Fremantle to Perth railway line, at the western end of Perth Train Station. The area to the west of the bridge was previously a large siding area including good sheds and siding for rolling stock storage.

In the past there were also businesses under the southern section, including book shops and record shops.

It was constructed in 1903 to reduce train-induced traffic congestion in William Street. The bridge's name is derived from its shape: a horseshoe

Horseshoe

A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...

. A horseshoe design was selected to allow minimal impact on surrounding streets in the crowded urban environment. It features swan pedestal lamps on top of pillars at each end, which were specifically designed for the bridge project.

The bridge enjoys heritage recognition, including listings on the Heritage Council’s State Register of Heritage Places, the Register of the National Estate, City of Perth’s Municipal Inventory and the National Trust.

The bridge was closed on 30 November 2009 for restoration and conversion to two-way traffic. It was expected to remain closed for four months. The bridge was reopened with two-way traffic on 26 June 2010, just under three months more than originally expected.

External links

• Google Maps Satellite image of Horseshoe Bridge from Google Maps
• Wellington Street, Perth, Western Australia, 1936. W.E. Fretwell Collection