Mooney Mooney Bridge
Encyclopedia
Mooney Mooney Creek Bridge is a twin cantilever bridge
that spans Mooney Mooney Creek
in Brisbane Water National Park
on the Central Coast
of New South Wales
as part of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
. It is the highest road bridge in Australia
as measured from the road bed to the water below. It was opened in December 1988 and is maintained by the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales
.
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is the main road link between Sydney
and the Central Coast, Newcastle, New South Wales
and Hunter Valley
. The only other road that links these regions is the Pacific Highway
which from Cowan
to Kariong
follows a scenic winding route.
Design=
Mooney Mooney Bridge was built by Enpro Constructions out of prestressed concrete
. It has three spans. The span at the western end of the bridge is 135 metres long, the main span is long and the eastern span is long.
The design has been said to demonstrate how good engineering
design and good aesthetics
are synonymous, and has been used as a standard in the design of bridges throughout New South Wales. They employ a two rail parapet
which optimises views of the landscape. The bridges were designed with the natural surroundings in mind and form a simple uncluttered shape so not to detract from the natural bushland of the National Park. The three span haunched girder
s on the bridge were critical to this as were the multiple pier
s that provide character and strength.
The bridge is the second crossing of the creek in the area, with the original two lane truss bridge that still services Pacific Highway traffic not far downstream of the modern bridge.
, resulting in the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway being closed to traffic
and causing delays. Some of these accidents have prompted debate on whether a new road should be built to supplement the existing freeway.
On 23 October 2004 a semi-trailer
's brake
s failed coming down the Freeway and caused a pile-up involving 35 vehicles that had slowed down as a result of a car accident on the other side of the bridge. This accident resulted in the death of a woman. On 12 February 2007 another accident occurred when a truck was travelling down the freeway and lost control approaching the bridge, smashing through a guard rail
and plunging 30 metres down an embankment
at the side of the bridge.
The Mooney Mooney Bridge, because of its height, has been susceptible in the past to people committing suicide
. As a result, a fence was erected along the side of the bridge to prevent people jumping
off. This fence was erected in 2003 and cost A$
1,000,000.
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
that spans Mooney Mooney Creek
Mooney Mooney Creek, New South Wales
Mooney Mooney Creek is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located north of Sydney along both sides of the creek after which it is named...
in Brisbane Water National Park
Brisbane Water National Park
Brisbane Water National park is a national park in New South Wales, , 47 km north of Sydney.The park has many pleasant and interesting walks that can vary from mild to rugged. One walk that can be easily accessed via public transport, is the walk to Pindar Cave on the escarpment above...
on the Central Coast
Central Coast, New South Wales
The Central Coast is an urban region in the Australian state of New South Wales, located on the coast north of Sydney and south of Lake Macquarie....
of 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...
as part of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....
. It is the highest road bridge in 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...
as measured from the road bed to the water below. It was opened in December 1988 and is maintained by the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales
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...
.
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is the main road link between Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and the Central Coast, Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
and Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
. The only other road that links these regions is the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
which from Cowan
Cowan, New South Wales
Cowan is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cowan is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region. Cowan shares the postcode of 2081 with Berowra...
to Kariong
Kariong, New South Wales
Kariong is a locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located to the west of Gosford along the Central Coast Highway. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.Kariong in the local Original language means meeting place...
follows a scenic winding route.
Design=
Mooney Mooney Bridge was built by Enpro Constructions out of prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
. It has three spans. The span at the western end of the bridge is 135 metres long, the main span is long and the eastern span is long.
The design has been said to demonstrate how good engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
design and good aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
are synonymous, and has been used as a standard in the design of bridges throughout New South Wales. They employ a two rail parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
which optimises views of the landscape. The bridges were designed with the natural surroundings in mind and form a simple uncluttered shape so not to detract from the natural bushland of the National Park. The three span haunched girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...
s on the bridge were critical to this as were the multiple pier
Pier
A pier is a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars...
s that provide character and strength.
The bridge is the second crossing of the creek in the area, with the original two lane truss bridge that still services Pacific Highway traffic not far downstream of the modern bridge.
Incidents
The Mooney Mooney Bridge has been the site of several accidentsCar accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
, resulting in the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway being closed to traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
and causing delays. Some of these accidents have prompted debate on whether a new road should be built to supplement the existing freeway.
On 23 October 2004 a semi-trailer
Semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. A large proportion of its weight is supported by a road tractor, a detachable front axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer...
's brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s failed coming down the Freeway and caused a pile-up involving 35 vehicles that had slowed down as a result of a car accident on the other side of the bridge. This accident resulted in the death of a woman. On 12 February 2007 another accident occurred when a truck was travelling down the freeway and lost control approaching the bridge, smashing through a guard rail
Guard rail
Guard rail or guardrail, sometimes referred to as guide rail or railing, is a system designed to keep people or vehicles from straying into dangerous or off-limits areas...
and plunging 30 metres down an embankment
Slope
In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line describes its steepness, incline, or grade. A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline....
at the side of the bridge.
The Mooney Mooney Bridge, because of its height, has been susceptible in the past to people committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. As a result, a fence was erected along the side of the bridge to prevent people jumping
Jumper (suicide)
A jumper, in police and media parlance, is a person who dies by suicide by jumping from a height, or people who have jumped, then survived, often with major injuries and permanent disabilities...
off. This fence was erected in 2003 and cost A$
Australian dollar
The 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...
1,000,000.