Riverton Bridge
Encyclopedia
Riverton Bridge is a small, two lane timber road traffic bridge
spanning the Canning River
at Riverton
, in Perth, Western Australia
It was originally built in 1911 and known as the Watts Road Bridge, being renamed to Riverton Bridge in 1916. By the 1930s the bridge had fallen into disrepair. In 1954 it was replaced with the current structure, slightly upstream of the original. Part of the original bridge was kept as a swimming jetty, but was demolished in 1980 for safety reasons.
Until the 1970s the bridge formed part of the major east-west road system south of the Canning River and was part of the then High Road between Fremantle
and Cannington
. In 1978, High Road was upgraded and realigned to become Leach Highway
and as part of that project, the concrete 4-lane Shelley Bridge was built a few hundred metres downstream. Since then, Riverton Bridge has been used for mainly local traffic.
The suburb of Riverton was in 1937 informally called Riverton Bridge to avoid confusion with the South Australia
n suburb of Riverton
.
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...
spanning the Canning River
Canning River (Western Australia)
The Canning River is a major tributary of the Swan River in south western Western Australia.-Source and route:With headwaters on the Darling Scarp, the Canning meanders through suburbs of Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain, including Cannington, Thornlie, Riverton, Shelley, Rossmoyne and Mount...
at Riverton
Riverton, Western Australia
Riverton is a suburb of Perth in Western Australia.-Location:Riverton is situated about 14 km or 15 minutes from Perth. The Canning River makes some of its north eastern boundary. It is part of the City of Canning, situated south east of the Swan River...
, in Perth, Western Australia
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....
It was originally built in 1911 and known as the Watts Road Bridge, being renamed to Riverton Bridge in 1916. By the 1930s the bridge had fallen into disrepair. In 1954 it was replaced with the current structure, slightly upstream of the original. Part of the original bridge was kept as a swimming jetty, but was demolished in 1980 for safety reasons.
Until the 1970s the bridge formed part of the major east-west road system south of the Canning River and was part of the then High Road between Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
and Cannington
Cannington, Western Australia
Cannington is a southern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Canning.-History:Cannington's name derives from the Canning River, which forms part of the southwestern boundary of the suburb...
. In 1978, High Road was upgraded and realigned to become Leach Highway
Leach Highway
Leach Highway is a major dual carriageway arterial road in Perth, Western Australia, which varies between 4 and 6 lanes wide. The speed limit is either 70 or 80 km/h. It is located south of the Swan River and links Fremantle with Kewdale, a distance of ....
and as part of that project, the concrete 4-lane Shelley Bridge was built a few hundred metres downstream. Since then, Riverton Bridge has been used for mainly local traffic.
The suburb of Riverton was in 1937 informally called Riverton Bridge to avoid confusion with the South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n suburb of Riverton
Riverton, South Australia
Riverton is a small town of distinctive character and interest to travellers in the Mid North of South Australia, in the Gilbert Valley. It is situated on the Gilbert River, from which the town derives its name...
.