Iron Cove Bridge, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Iron Cove Bridge is a heritage listed bridge
linking the suburbs of Drummoyne to Rozelle in New South Wales
, Australia
.
lattice girders and opened in 1882 after four years of construction. The area was sparsely populated in the 1880s and the opening of the new bridge not only helped accessibility but also provided a new western route to Sydney via Balmain
. All that remains of the original bridge are the sandstone abutment
s situated on both sides of the cove about 20 metres (65 ft) south of the current bridge. The abutment on the Drummoyne side is listed on the NSW Heritage Register.
. Design work began in 1942 and construction by Hornibrook McKenzie Clarke Pty Ltd commenced in 1947. The bridge was officially opened by Hon. J.J. Cahill
, MLA, Premier and Colonial Treasurer of NSW on the 30 July 1955.
The bridge was built to carry four lanes of traffic, but a fifth lane was later added to the southwest side of the bridge. This extra lane runs outside of the main bridge supports, forcing traffic to remain in the lane for the length of the bridge. The default configuration is three westbound and two eastbound lanes, switching to two westbound and three eastbound lanes during the morning peak
.
approved plans to construct a second bridge over Iron Cove as part of the Inner West Busway along Victoria Road
.
The new bridge has been constructed on the western side of the existing bridge and holds three westbound traffic lanes with one lane designated as an AM bus lane. The existing bridge now carries three city bound traffic lanes and a 24 hour bus lane. The existing outrigger lane has been closed and is now only used for maintenance reasons. There is also a 4.3 metre wide pedestrian and cycle path on the western side of the new bridge which connects to both the The Bay Run
and Victoria Road.
Work on the duplicate bridge commenced in July 2009. It was first opened to traffic late on Friday 28th January 2011.
During the proposal phase there were strong protests against the duplicate bridge being built from local residents as well as both local area councils of the City of Canada Bay
(Drummoyne side) and Leichhardt
(Rozelle side). Local residents within both Drummoyne and Rozelle formed the Victoria Road Community Committee Inc. and organized public demonstrations, the last of which on Sunday 29 March 2009 attracted over 3000 protest marchers. Opposition to the new bridge is based on independent evaluations concluding that there would be only slight improvements to traffic congestion city bound on Victoria Road during peak hour while local congestion would worsen. Additionally, parkland on both sides of the new bridge would be reduced and independent environmental studies showed the local environment detrimentally impacted by the new bridge construction.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
linking the suburbs of Drummoyne to Rozelle in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Original
The original bridge was constructed of wrought ironWrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
lattice girders and opened in 1882 after four years of construction. The area was sparsely populated in the 1880s and the opening of the new bridge not only helped accessibility but also provided a new western route to Sydney via Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
. All that remains of the original bridge are the sandstone abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s situated on both sides of the cove about 20 metres (65 ft) south of the current bridge. The abutment on the Drummoyne side is listed on the NSW Heritage Register.
Replacement
A decision to replace the original bridge was made in 1939 just prior to the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Design work began in 1942 and construction by Hornibrook McKenzie Clarke Pty Ltd commenced in 1947. The bridge was officially opened by Hon. J.J. Cahill
Joseph Cahill
John Joseph Cahill was Premier of New South Wales in Australia from 1952 to 1959. He is best remembered as the Premier who approved construction on the Sydney Opera House, and for his work increasing the authority of local government in the state.-Early years:Joe Cahill, as he was popularly known,...
, MLA, Premier and Colonial Treasurer of NSW on the 30 July 1955.
The bridge was built to carry four lanes of traffic, but a fifth lane was later added to the southwest side of the bridge. This extra lane runs outside of the main bridge supports, forcing traffic to remain in the lane for the length of the bridge. The default configuration is three westbound and two eastbound lanes, switching to two westbound and three eastbound lanes during the morning peak
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
.
Architecture
The bridge has aesthetically distinctive piers and abutments which reflect the Inter-War Art Deco style. Furthermore it was the last steel truss bridge to be constructed in New South Wales in which rivets were used for field connections prior to the introduction of high strength bolts.Bridge duplication
In April 2009, the NSW GovernmentGovernment of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
approved plans to construct a second bridge over Iron Cove as part of the Inner West Busway along Victoria Road
Victoria Road, Sydney
Victoria Road is a major road in Sydney, Australia.Victoria Road connects Parramatta with the Rozelle end of Anzac Bridge. Victoria Road passes through the Sydney suburbs of Rydalmere, Ermington, West Ryde, Ryde, Gladesville and Drummoyne and is currently one of the longest roads in Sydney.The road...
.
The Bay Run
The Bay Run is a popular pathway that encircles much of Iron Cove and is located in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The Bay Run is particularly popular with joggers, walkers and cyclists who enjoy the pleasant waterside scenery whilst participating in exercise...
and Victoria Road.
Work on the duplicate bridge commenced in July 2009. It was first opened to traffic late on Friday 28th January 2011.
During the proposal phase there were strong protests against the duplicate bridge being built from local residents as well as both local area councils of the City of Canada Bay
City of Canada Bay
The City of Canada Bay is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia and located in the metropolitan area of Sydney. The city was formed in December 2000, following the merger of Concord and Drummoyne councils...
(Drummoyne side) and Leichhardt
Municipality of Leichhardt
The Municipality of Leichhardt is a Local Government Area in the inner-west of Sydney, in state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The Municipality of Leichhardt stands on land that traditionally belonged to the Gadigal and Wangal people, of the Eora nation...
(Rozelle side). Local residents within both Drummoyne and Rozelle formed the Victoria Road Community Committee Inc. and organized public demonstrations, the last of which on Sunday 29 March 2009 attracted over 3000 protest marchers. Opposition to the new bridge is based on independent evaluations concluding that there would be only slight improvements to traffic congestion city bound on Victoria Road during peak hour while local congestion would worsen. Additionally, parkland on both sides of the new bridge would be reduced and independent environmental studies showed the local environment detrimentally impacted by the new bridge construction.
See also
- Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
- The Bay RunThe Bay RunThe Bay Run is a popular pathway that encircles much of Iron Cove and is located in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. The Bay Run is particularly popular with joggers, walkers and cyclists who enjoy the pleasant waterside scenery whilst participating in exercise...
, a popular pathway for joggers, walkers and cyclists which passes across Iron Cove Bridge.