Bridgewater Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Bridgewater Bridge and Causeway spans the Derwent River in Tasmania
, Australia
between Bridgewater
and Granton
. It consists of a vertical lift bridge
and a specially-built causeway
connecting the bridge to the east bank of the river. It accommodates a two-lane highway
, a single track railway and, on the bridge section, a footpath. As the bridge is the major connector of the Midland Highway on the eastern shore and the Brooker Highway
on the western, the lifting of the bridge can cause considerable traffic delays, depending on the time of day and season.
, Hobart
. Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur commissioned the construction of the bridge and causeway as part of the Launceston
-Hobart
Trunk Road, linking both Tasmanian towns and providing easier access to farmlands in the interior of Tasmania
.
s who had been condemned to secondary punishment. These convicts, using nothing but wheelbarrows, shovels and picks and sheer muscle power, shifted 2 million tonnes (2,200,000 short tons) of soil, stones and clay. The finished causeway stretched 1.3 kilometres (0.8 mi), although did not span the full width of the Derwent. The original plan apparently called for a viaduct
, but this plan was abandoned and the half-built arches were filled in to form the present causeway.
operated across the deep, navigable section of the river, but could not cope with traffic demands. To resolve this issue, the first bridge across this point of the Derwent opened in 1849. The bridge was designed by the firm of architect and former convict James Blackburn
. Being a swing bridge
, it could pivot out of the way to allow ships to pass. In the late 1870s, the Launceston-Hobart Railway called for modifications to the causeway so they could lay tracks over it. The causeway required widening and the swing bridge was modified as well.
On July 22, 1886, a train from the north was passing over the bridge when the engine left the tracks and tipped over, hanging precariously above the water on the edge of the southern end of the swing bridge. The fireman and driver were injured, but no-one was killed and the locomotive was salvageable. The cause of the accident was found to be that the rails failed to match properly when the bridge was closed, so the bridge was modified again to solve this problem. The bridge lasted several decades more before being replaced by another swing bridge in the early 1900s. The pivot and the sandstone abutments of this bridge are still standing and can be viewed on the left of the present bridge as one travels towards the north.
Both the first and second swing bridges did not run straight off the end of the causeway; rather, they turned slightly to the right. The second swing bridge was left standing when the present lifting bridge was being constructed to prevent traffic stoppages, so the present bridge deviates from the causeway quite appreciably.
Construction on the present steel vertical lift bridge
across the Derwent began in 1939. It was briefly interrupted by World War II
, but was finally completed in 1946. It consists of a long concrete bridge that leads off the end of the causeway, and a steel lifting section just before the northern bank of the river. The lifting section is one of only a few remaining in the Southern Hemisphere
, and is the largest of its kind remaining in Australia. The bridge was designed to last a century without replacement. A small control house stands on the lifting section. Inside are the switches and locks which operate the bridge.
Until 1984, the Australian Newsprint Mills (now Norske Skog
Paper) at Boyer
, near New Norfolk
, upstream from Bridgewater, moved all its produce by river. Many barge
s were used to transport paper from the mill to the storage sheds at Pavilion Point at Hobart, and for this reason the bridge was required to open very frequently. Consequently, a bridge-keeper lived on-site and opened and closed the bridge when required. However, when the decision was made to cease river transportation, an on-site keeper was no longer necessary, so although the bridge can and does still open, bridge openings are now infrequent.
In response to vandalism of the house which contains the bridge operating controls, closed-circuit television
cameras were installed along the lifting span sometime between 2003 and 2005.
On October 30, 2006 a fault was found in one of the steel cables holding up the two 170-tonne concrete counterweights above the road, forcing the temporary closure of the bridge. This closure caused peak hour traffic delays, mainly along the East Derwent Highway
, due to traffic being diverted over the Bowen
and Tasman
Bridges. The cables, which were put in place in 1994, were supposed to have a 20-year lifespan, and as they have lasted barely over half that time, investigations are underway as to the maintenance procedures of the bridge.
declared $
100 million towards the replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge, soon after the State government
decided to build the replacement to the south of the existing bridge. However, after years of inaction the State government has encountering some heritage
issues with replacing the bridge and is now to be replaced as part of the final stage of the Brighton Bypass
and Midland Highway upgrade.
Towards the end of 2010, the State government released plans for a new Derwent river crossing, next to the current bridge.
The new bridge will take over the role of carrying the Midland Highway, the old bridge will be left open for Rail, pedestrian and local traffic. While the Bridgewater Bridge is recognised as being limited in its ability to perform the function of the Midland Highway, it also has important Heritage values and is recognised as a Landmark in the area.
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, 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...
between Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Tasmania
Bridgewater, Tasmania, is one greater Hobart's northern-most suburbs, located 19 km from the city. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Derwent River. It is a suburb of the local government area of the Municipality of Brighton....
and Granton
Granton, Tasmania
Granton is a suburb of Hobart, capital city of Tasmania, Australia. It is the most northern suburb of the City of Glenorchy Local Government Area....
. It consists of a vertical lift bridge
Lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck....
and a specially-built causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
connecting the bridge to the east bank of the river. It accommodates a two-lane highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
, a single track railway and, on the bridge section, a footpath. As the bridge is the major connector of the Midland Highway on the eastern shore and the Brooker Highway
Brooker Highway
The Brooker Highway is a highway in the State of Tasmania, Australia. Also known as the Northern Outlet, the highway is the major arterial route through Hobart's northern suburbs and is Hobart's major road connection to the cities and towns of Northern Tasmania...
on the western, the lifting of the bridge can cause considerable traffic delays, depending on the time of day and season.
History
The Bridgewater Bridge was one of the first bridges constructed in Tasmania following British settlement in 1803, and gave its name to the nearby suburb of BridgewaterBridgewater, Tasmania
Bridgewater, Tasmania, is one greater Hobart's northern-most suburbs, located 19 km from the city. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Derwent River. It is a suburb of the local government area of the Municipality of Brighton....
, Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. Lieutenant-Governor George Arthur commissioned the construction of the bridge and causeway as part of the Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
-Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
Trunk Road, linking both Tasmanian towns and providing easier access to farmlands in the interior of Tasmania
Midlands, Tasmania
The Midlands is a region of Tasmania between Launceston and Hobart. It also refers to the relatively flat, dry agricultural area, so named because it covers the region between the two cities. Its name is probably also influenced from the Midlands in the United Kingdom. It lends its name to the...
.
The causeway
Construction commenced on the bridge in 1829. The causeway, which was constructed first, was built by a workforce of 200 convictConvict
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison", sometimes referred to in slang as simply a "con". Convicts are often called prisoners or inmates. Persons convicted and sentenced to non-custodial sentences often are not termed...
s who had been condemned to secondary punishment. These convicts, using nothing but wheelbarrows, shovels and picks and sheer muscle power, shifted 2 million tonnes (2,200,000 short tons) of soil, stones and clay. The finished causeway stretched 1.3 kilometres (0.8 mi), although did not span the full width of the Derwent. The original plan apparently called for a viaduct
Viaduct
A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...
, but this plan was abandoned and the half-built arches were filled in to form the present causeway.
The first bridges
Upon completion of the causeway, a puntPunt (boat)
A punt is a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. The punter generally propels the punt by pushing against the river bed with a pole...
operated across the deep, navigable section of the river, but could not cope with traffic demands. To resolve this issue, the first bridge across this point of the Derwent opened in 1849. The bridge was designed by the firm of architect and former convict James Blackburn
James Blackburn (architect)
James Blackburn was an English civil engineer, surveyor and architect best known for his work in Australia, to which he had been sentenced for forgery...
. Being a swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
, it could pivot out of the way to allow ships to pass. In the late 1870s, the Launceston-Hobart Railway called for modifications to the causeway so they could lay tracks over it. The causeway required widening and the swing bridge was modified as well.
On July 22, 1886, a train from the north was passing over the bridge when the engine left the tracks and tipped over, hanging precariously above the water on the edge of the southern end of the swing bridge. The fireman and driver were injured, but no-one was killed and the locomotive was salvageable. The cause of the accident was found to be that the rails failed to match properly when the bridge was closed, so the bridge was modified again to solve this problem. The bridge lasted several decades more before being replaced by another swing bridge in the early 1900s. The pivot and the sandstone abutments of this bridge are still standing and can be viewed on the left of the present bridge as one travels towards the north.
Both the first and second swing bridges did not run straight off the end of the causeway; rather, they turned slightly to the right. The second swing bridge was left standing when the present lifting bridge was being constructed to prevent traffic stoppages, so the present bridge deviates from the causeway quite appreciably.
The current lift bridge
Lift bridge
A vertical-lift bridge or lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck....
across the Derwent began in 1939. It was briefly interrupted by World War II
World 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...
, but was finally completed in 1946. It consists of a long concrete bridge that leads off the end of the causeway, and a steel lifting section just before the northern bank of the river. The lifting section is one of only a few remaining in the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
, and is the largest of its kind remaining in Australia. The bridge was designed to last a century without replacement. A small control house stands on the lifting section. Inside are the switches and locks which operate the bridge.
Until 1984, the Australian Newsprint Mills (now Norske Skog
Norske Skog
Norske Skogindustrier ASA or Norske Skog, which translates as Norwegian Forest Industries, is a Norwegian pulp and paper company based in Oslo, Norway and established in 1962...
Paper) at Boyer
Boyer, Tasmania
Boyer is a town on the eastern side of the Derwent River , opposite and slightly downstream of New Norfolk. It is named after a family who first settled in the area in the early 19th century. It is the site of Australian Newsprint Mills' plant in Tasmania...
, near New Norfolk
New Norfolk, Tasmania
-References:5. Fellowship of First Fleeters.6. New Norfolk's History and Achievements by Joe Cowburn and Rita Cox 1986-External links:* has extensive local information, history, photographs, resources and attractions...
, upstream from Bridgewater, moved all its produce by river. Many barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s were used to transport paper from the mill to the storage sheds at Pavilion Point at Hobart, and for this reason the bridge was required to open very frequently. Consequently, a bridge-keeper lived on-site and opened and closed the bridge when required. However, when the decision was made to cease river transportation, an on-site keeper was no longer necessary, so although the bridge can and does still open, bridge openings are now infrequent.
In response to vandalism of the house which contains the bridge operating controls, closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
cameras were installed along the lifting span sometime between 2003 and 2005.
On October 30, 2006 a fault was found in one of the steel cables holding up the two 170-tonne concrete counterweights above the road, forcing the temporary closure of the bridge. This closure caused peak hour traffic delays, mainly along the East Derwent Highway
East Derwent Highway
The East Derwent Highway is a highway in Hobart, Australia. The highway is a Trunk road that carries heavy commuter traffic much like the Brooker Highway, except on the Eastern side of the Derwent River...
, due to traffic being diverted over the Bowen
Bowen Bridge
The Bowen Bridge is a four-lane road bridge crossing the Derwent River in Tasmania, Australia. The Bridge lies on the river approximately half way between the Tasman Bridge and the Bridgewater Bridge. The Bridge links the East Derwent Highway with the Brooker Highway at Glenorchy some 10...
and Tasman
Tasman Bridge
The Tasman Bridge is a five-lane bridge crossing the Derwent River, near the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania. The bridge has a total length of 1,395 metres . It provides the main traffic route from the CBD to the eastern shore - particularly Hobart International Airport and Bellerive Oval...
Bridges. The cables, which were put in place in 1994, were supposed to have a 20-year lifespan, and as they have lasted barely over half that time, investigations are underway as to the maintenance procedures of the bridge.
Replacement
Since 2001 The Federal GovernmentGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
declared $
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...
100 million towards the replacement of the Bridgewater Bridge, soon after the State government
Government of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
decided to build the replacement to the south of the existing bridge. However, after years of inaction the State government has encountering some heritage
Industrial heritage
Industrial heritage is an aspect of cultural heritage dealing specifically with the buildings and artifacts of industry which are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations, often forming a significant attraction for tourism.The...
issues with replacing the bridge and is now to be replaced as part of the final stage of the Brighton Bypass
Brighton Bypass
The Brighton Bypass is a A$164 million bypass currently under construction on the Midland Highway between Bridgewater and Pontville, just north of Hobart in southern Tasmania. Construction of the 9.5 km federally funded Dual carriageway started in April 2009, and is expected to be completed in...
and Midland Highway upgrade.
Towards the end of 2010, the State government released plans for a new Derwent river crossing, next to the current bridge.
The new bridge will take over the role of carrying the Midland Highway, the old bridge will be left open for Rail, pedestrian and local traffic. While the Bridgewater Bridge is recognised as being limited in its ability to perform the function of the Midland Highway, it also has important Heritage values and is recognised as a Landmark in the area.
External links
- State Library of Tasmania Images, historic pictures of the Bridgewater Bridge and Causeway
- RailTasmania, modern picture of the Bridgewater Bridge and Causeway