West Gate Bridge
Encyclopedia
The West Gate Bridge is a steel box girder cable-stayed bridge
in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
. It spans the Yarra River
, just north of its mouth into Port Phillip
, and is a vital link between the inner city and Melbourne's western suburb
s with the industrial suburbs in the west and with the city of Geelong, 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the south-west.
The main river span is 336 metres (1,102 ft) in length, and the height above the water is 58 metres. The total length of the bridge is 2,582.6 metres (8,473.1 ft). It is the third longest in Australia behind the Houghton Highway
and the Hornibrook Bridge
, and is twice as long as the Sydney Harbour Bridge
.
The bridge passes over Westgate Park, a large environmental and recreational reserve created during the bridge's construction.
The bridge was originally tolled
. Tolls were abolished in 1985, because drivers were using other routes to avoid the toll.
. The Westgate Punt is a ferry
that runs directly below the bridge taking cyclists and pedestrians across the Yarra between a jetty at Fishermans Bend near Westgate Park
- Bay Trail
and a jetty adjacent to Scienceworks Museum
- Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail
. Operating only on weekends and public holidays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on demand.
between pier
s 10 and 11 collapsed and fell 50 m (164 ft) to the ground and water below. Thirty-five construction workers were killed. Many of those who perished were on lunch break beneath the structure in workers' huts, which were crushed by the falling span. Others were working on and inside the girder when it fell. The whole 2,000-tonne mass plummeted into the Yarra River mud with an explosion of gas, dust and mangled metal that shook buildings hundreds of metres away. Homes were spattered with flying mud. The roar of the impact, the explosion, and the fire that followed, could be clearly heard over 20 km away. A West Gate Bridge Memorial to workers who lost their lives is located near the bridge. On the following morning, 16 October, Sir Henry Bolte
(Premier of Victoria) announced that a Royal Commission would be set up immediately to look into the cause of the disaster. The Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
, said: "I am sure the whole of Australia is shocked and saddened by the serious accident at West Gate Bridge. Please extend my deepest sympathy to all those families to whom this tragic event has brought such grief."
A Royal Commission
into the collapse was established, and concluded on 14 July 1971. It attributed the failure of the bridge to two causes: the structural design by designers Freeman Fox & Partners and an unusual method of erection
by World Services and Construction, the original contractor
s of the project.
On the day of the collapse, there was a difference in camber
of 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) between two half-girder
s at the west end of the span which needed to be joined. It was proposed that the higher one be weighted down with 10 concrete blocks, each 8 tonne
s (11 t), which were located on site. The weight of these blocks caused the span to buckle, which was a sign of structural failure
. The longitudinal joining of the half girders was partially complete when orders came through to remove the buckle. As the bolts were removed, the bridge snapped back and the span collapsed.
Six twisted fragments of the collapsed bridge can be found adorning the gardens in the engineering faculty of Monash University
, Clayton campus
. It is said by students that they are to remind engineers of the consequences of their errors. Monash University acquired these when asked to participate in the investigation of the collapse.
, cost $202 million.
In 2003 speed cameras were erected on the bridge, but were not activated until September 2005, because of issues with a similar camera on the Western Ring Road
. However these speed cameras were switched off in 2005, and currently remain disabled, as the sway of the bridge prevents secondary verification of the alleged speed against a fixed point. In 2006 the State Government spent $1.3 million on erecting railway style
boom barrier
s at each entrance to the bridge to block traffic in the event of a terrorist attack. In March 2007 the State Government announced that two flagpoles would be erected atop the main bridge pylons, to fly the Australian
and Victorian flag
s, each being 10 metres by 5 metres in size and 135m above sea level. Costing $350,000 to install and $15,000 a year to maintain, the flags were unfurled on 24 September 2008.
On 5 August 2007 it was reported that the Victorian Government was planning a $240 million project to identify and eliminate structural weaknesses in the bridge, with specific concerns including crash barriers, cracking, corrosion and potential buckling. News of the work was prompted by the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota
, United States. Experts were reported as saying the West Gate was initially designed to carry loads of 25 tonnes but now carried B-double trucks weighing up to 68 tonnes. The bridge was built to carry 40,000 vehicles a day, but volumes are now more than four times the original amount, approximately 160,000 vehicles on an average day.
to provide five traffic lanes in the peak direction, opposing traffic having three lanes. This was to be done using overhead signals and barriers and the State Government allocated funds to this project in its 2006–2007 state budget, but the works were never carried out.
In 2008 the expansion plans were revised as part of the Victorian Transport Plan
, when it was announced that the bridge would be widened to 5 lanes in each direction, the space being gained by narrowing the existing traffic lanes and closing the emergency lanes, in a move criticised by Victorian fire, police and ambulance unions. Overhead gantries would be used to direct traffic out of lanes when breakdowns and accidents occur. Costed at $240 million, each lane would be 3.1 metres wide, by comparison lanes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
have a width of 2.8 metres. Roads Minister Tim Pallas
claimed that the plan would allow the bridge to carry 50 percent more vehicles, while reducing crashes by 20 percent. Structural analysis work on the bridge concluded in early 2009 and was completed over a 14-month period. Works to strengthen the bridge commenced in the first half of 2009, with the entire strengthening project scheduled for completion in 2011.
On the 22 June 2011 all five lanes were finally opened to the public in both directions, with the completion of the required strengthening works. The full cost was $347 million, $107 million more than VicRoads had planned. This cost increase was after the deletion of $20 million decorative lighting originally included in the scope of the works.
Strong growth in suburbs along the route, and increased freight through the Port of Melbourne, means that the corridor is experiencing traffic congestion
during peak periods, is vulnerable to short term interruptions and is rapidly approaching capacity. Proposals to abate congestion by allowing more traffic have included bridge widening, a tunnel underneath the river, or adding a second deck to the bridge. Many such plans have come under fire from community groups such as the Public Transport Users Association
and Environment Victoria
advocating investment in alternative forms of transport.
A private sector report made public in February 2006 report suggested building a companion tunnel to the West Gate Bridge under the Yarra River. Made up of three separate bores to carry traffic in either direction and a freight rail line, the portals would have been north of Williamstown Road in Port Melbourne, and between Blackshaws and Melbourne roads in Altona North.
The State Government also assessed options for the development of another east-west link in 2008. Sir Rod Eddington, former CEO of British Airways and Chairman of the Victorian Major Events Company, will head the assessment of the future East-West connections and recommend the best way forward for public transport, road and freight travel for the entire Monash-West Gate corridor. By December 2008 the State Government announced it was planning for such a link, anticipated to be a three kilometre road tunnel under Footscray
and the Maribyrnong River
. Linking Dynon and Footscray Roads in the Port of Melbourne
precinct to Geelong Road in West Footscray, now known as the East-West road connection
its cost is estimated at more than $2.5 billion.
Those who argue for a suicide barrier claim that most of those who jump from the West Gate Bridge do so through impulse and that police officers who try to save those who try to jump are putting their own lives in danger. There are multiple incidents of police officers dangling off the side of the bridge while holding onto would-be jumpers. A 2000 Royal Melbourne Hospital
study on people who jumped from the bridge found at least 62 cases between 1991 and 1998. Seven people survived the 58-metre fall. Seventy-four percent of those who jumped from the bridge were male, with an average age of 33. More than 70 percent were suffering from mental illness
. Of those who jumped off the West Gate Bridge, 31 percent fell on land. Some of those who land in water drowned afterwards.
In 2008, Melbourne girl, Darcy Freeman, was thrown off of the bridge by her father. She was only 4 years old. Her father was subject to a custodial order and was deeply disturbed by the verdict. As of April 2011 Freeman is guilty of murder.
In February 2009 the first stage of a temporary suicide barrier was erected, constructed of concrete crash barriers
topped with a welded mesh fence. By June that year it has been claimed that the fence has prevented two suicides. Most of the second stage of the barrier has been completed throughout the span of the bridge. The barriers are costed at $20 million.
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, 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...
. It spans the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
, just north of its mouth into Port Phillip
Port Phillip
Port Phillip Port Phillip Port Phillip (also commonly referred to as Port Phillip Bay or (locally) just The Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia; it is the location of Melbourne. Geographically, the bay covers and the shore stretches roughly . Although it is extremely shallow for...
, and is a vital link between the inner city and Melbourne's western suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s with the industrial suburbs in the west and with the city of Geelong, 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the south-west.
The main river span is 336 metres (1,102 ft) in length, and the height above the water is 58 metres. The total length of the bridge is 2,582.6 metres (8,473.1 ft). It is the third longest in Australia behind the Houghton Highway
Houghton Highway
The Houghton Highway is a reinforced concrete viaduct, shortening the road distance between the cities of Redcliffe and Brisbane in Queensland, Australia...
and the Hornibrook Bridge
Hornibrook Bridge
Hornibrook Bridge was one of three bridges that crossed Bramble Bay, Queensland, Australia. The second is the Houghton Highway, which was built to accommodate rising traffic levels on the two-lane Hornibrook Bridge in the 1970s to increase capacity and cope with future demand...
, and is twice as long as the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
.
The bridge passes over Westgate Park, a large environmental and recreational reserve created during the bridge's construction.
Motor vehicles
The West Gate Bridge carries five lanes of motor vehicle traffic in each direction.The bridge was originally tolled
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
. Tolls were abolished in 1985, because drivers were using other routes to avoid the toll.
Cycling and the Westgate
Cyclists are prohibited from using the bridge except for special bicycle events, notably the "MS Summer cycle" which is a fundraising event for multiple sclerosis and the "Around the bay in a day" Bicycle Victoria event that raises money for the charity The Smith FamilyThe Smith Family
The Smith Family is an Australian, independent non-profit children's charity committed to unlocking opportunities for disadvantaged children and their families to participate more fully in society, using education as the key.-The Smith Family history:...
. The Westgate Punt is a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
that runs directly below the bridge taking cyclists and pedestrians across the Yarra between a jetty at Fishermans Bend near Westgate Park
Westgate Park
Westgate Park was a former baseball stadium located in San Diego, California. The ballpark was home to the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League from 1958 to 1967.The ballpark was located in the Mission Valley region of San Diego...
- Bay Trail
Bay Trail
This article is about the trail in Melbourne. For the trail in San Francisco, see San Francisco Bay Trail.The Bay Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians which follows the coastline of Port Phillip Bay through the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.The trail...
and a jetty adjacent to Scienceworks Museum
Scienceworks Museum (Melbourne)
Scienceworks is a world renowned science museum in Melbourne, Australia. It is a venue of Museum Victoria which administers the cultural and scientific collections of the State of Victoria...
- Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail
Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail
The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the coast line of Hobsons Bay in the inner western suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The trail forms part of the western half of the Bayside Trail which encircles Port Phillip...
. Operating only on weekends and public holidays, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on demand.
Collapse
Two years into construction of the bridge, at 11.50 am on 15 October 1970, the 112 m (367.5 ft) spanSpan (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
between 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 10 and 11 collapsed and fell 50 m (164 ft) to the ground and water below. Thirty-five construction workers were killed. Many of those who perished were on lunch break beneath the structure in workers' huts, which were crushed by the falling span. Others were working on and inside the girder when it fell. The whole 2,000-tonne mass plummeted into the Yarra River mud with an explosion of gas, dust and mangled metal that shook buildings hundreds of metres away. Homes were spattered with flying mud. The roar of the impact, the explosion, and the fire that followed, could be clearly heard over 20 km away. A West Gate Bridge Memorial to workers who lost their lives is located near the bridge. On the following morning, 16 October, Sir Henry Bolte
Henry Bolte
Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
(Premier of Victoria) announced that a Royal Commission would be set up immediately to look into the cause of the disaster. The Prime Minister, Mr. John Gorton
John Gorton
Sir John Grey Gorton, GCMG, AC, CH , Australian politician, was the 19th Prime Minister of Australia.-Early life:...
, said: "I am sure the whole of Australia is shocked and saddened by the serious accident at West Gate Bridge. Please extend my deepest sympathy to all those families to whom this tragic event has brought such grief."
Cause
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
into the collapse was established, and concluded on 14 July 1971. It attributed the failure of the bridge to two causes: the structural design by designers Freeman Fox & Partners and an unusual method of erection
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
by World Services and Construction, the original contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
s of the project.
On the day of the collapse, there was a difference in camber
Cant (road/rail)
The cant of a railway track or a road is the difference in elevation between the two edges...
of 11.4 centimetres (4.5 in) between two half-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 at the west end of the span which needed to be joined. It was proposed that the higher one be weighted down with 10 concrete blocks, each 8 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s (11 t), which were located on site. The weight of these blocks caused the span to buckle, which was a sign of structural failure
Structural failure
Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material is stressed to its strength limit, thus causing fracture or excessive deformations...
. The longitudinal joining of the half girders was partially complete when orders came through to remove the buckle. As the bolts were removed, the bridge snapped back and the span collapsed.
Six twisted fragments of the collapsed bridge can be found adorning the gardens in the engineering faculty of Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
, Clayton campus
Monash University, Clayton campus
Monash University, Clayton Campus is the main campus of Monash University located in Clayton, which is a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, in the state of Victoria....
. It is said by students that they are to remind engineers of the consequences of their errors. Monash University acquired these when asked to participate in the investigation of the collapse.
Completion
Construction resumed in 1972, with the bridge being completed in 1978. After 10 years of construction, the bridge, a part of the larger West Gate FreewayWest Gate Freeway
West Gate Freeway is a freeway in Melbourne, Australia, linking Geelong to Melbourne CBD and beyond. It is also a link between Melbourne and the west and linking industrial and residential areas west of the Yarra River with the city and port areas. The iconic West Gate Bridge is a part of the...
, cost $202 million.
In 2003 speed cameras were erected on the bridge, but were not activated until September 2005, because of issues with a similar camera on the Western Ring Road
M80 Ring Road, Melbourne
The M80 Ring Road, more formally known as the Western Ring Road or Metropolitan Ring Road, is a freeway in Melbourne, Australia connecting the northern suburbs and the western suburbs to various freeways:* the Hume Freeway;...
. However these speed cameras were switched off in 2005, and currently remain disabled, as the sway of the bridge prevents secondary verification of the alleged speed against a fixed point. In 2006 the State Government spent $1.3 million on erecting railway style
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
boom barrier
Boom barrier
A boom barrier is a bar, or pole pivoted in such a way as to allow the boom to block vehicular access through a controlled point. Typically the tip of a boom gate rises in a vertical arc to a near vertical position. Boom gates are often counterweighted, so the pole is easily tipped...
s at each entrance to the bridge to block traffic in the event of a terrorist attack. In March 2007 the State Government announced that two flagpoles would be erected atop the main bridge pylons, to fly the Australian
Flag of Australia
The flag of Australia is a defaced Blue Ensign: a blue field with the Union Flag in the canton , and a large white seven-pointed star known as the Commonwealth Star in the lower hoist quarter...
and Victorian flag
Flag of Victoria
The flag of Victoria, symbolising the state of Victoria in Australia, is a British Blue Ensign defaced by the state badge of Victoria in the fly. The badge is the Southern Cross topped by an imperial crown, which is currently the St Edward's Crown...
s, each being 10 metres by 5 metres in size and 135m above sea level. Costing $350,000 to install and $15,000 a year to maintain, the flags were unfurled on 24 September 2008.
On 5 August 2007 it was reported that the Victorian Government was planning a $240 million project to identify and eliminate structural weaknesses in the bridge, with specific concerns including crash barriers, cracking, corrosion and potential buckling. News of the work was prompted by the collapse of the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, United States. Experts were reported as saying the West Gate was initially designed to carry loads of 25 tonnes but now carried B-double trucks weighing up to 68 tonnes. The bridge was built to carry 40,000 vehicles a day, but volumes are now more than four times the original amount, approximately 160,000 vehicles on an average day.
Expansion
On 17 May 2006, the State Government as part of their Meeting Our Transport Challenges plan announced plans to change traffic flow in peak periods on the West Gate Bridge and approaches to it, using a reversible laneReversible lane
A reversible lane , called a counterflow lane or contraflow lane in transport engineering nomenclature, is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions...
to provide five traffic lanes in the peak direction, opposing traffic having three lanes. This was to be done using overhead signals and barriers and the State Government allocated funds to this project in its 2006–2007 state budget, but the works were never carried out.
In 2008 the expansion plans were revised as part of the Victorian Transport Plan
Victorian Transport Plan
The Victorian Transport Plan is a now defunct transport planning framework for the state of Victoria, Australia announced on Monday 9 December 2008 by then Premier of Victoria, John Brumby...
, when it was announced that the bridge would be widened to 5 lanes in each direction, the space being gained by narrowing the existing traffic lanes and closing the emergency lanes, in a move criticised by Victorian fire, police and ambulance unions. Overhead gantries would be used to direct traffic out of lanes when breakdowns and accidents occur. Costed at $240 million, each lane would be 3.1 metres wide, by comparison lanes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
have a width of 2.8 metres. Roads Minister Tim Pallas
Tim Pallas
Timothy Hugh Pallas is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006, representing the electorate of Tarneit...
claimed that the plan would allow the bridge to carry 50 percent more vehicles, while reducing crashes by 20 percent. Structural analysis work on the bridge concluded in early 2009 and was completed over a 14-month period. Works to strengthen the bridge commenced in the first half of 2009, with the entire strengthening project scheduled for completion in 2011.
On the 22 June 2011 all five lanes were finally opened to the public in both directions, with the completion of the required strengthening works. The full cost was $347 million, $107 million more than VicRoads had planned. This cost increase was after the deletion of $20 million decorative lighting originally included in the scope of the works.
Future
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
during peak periods, is vulnerable to short term interruptions and is rapidly approaching capacity. Proposals to abate congestion by allowing more traffic have included bridge widening, a tunnel underneath the river, or adding a second deck to the bridge. Many such plans have come under fire from community groups such as the Public Transport Users Association
Public Transport Users Association
The Public Transport Users Association is a community-based public transport lobby group in Victoria, Australia, based in Melbourne.- History and Aims :...
and Environment Victoria
Environment Victoria
Environment Victoria is Victoria’s leading independent environment group. Established in 1969 as the Conservation Council of Victoria, Environment Victoria was set up by Victoria's community conservation groups to provide a single unified voice for Victoria's environment. Today, Environment...
advocating investment in alternative forms of transport.
A private sector report made public in February 2006 report suggested building a companion tunnel to the West Gate Bridge under the Yarra River. Made up of three separate bores to carry traffic in either direction and a freight rail line, the portals would have been north of Williamstown Road in Port Melbourne, and between Blackshaws and Melbourne roads in Altona North.
The State Government also assessed options for the development of another east-west link in 2008. Sir Rod Eddington, former CEO of British Airways and Chairman of the Victorian Major Events Company, will head the assessment of the future East-West connections and recommend the best way forward for public transport, road and freight travel for the entire Monash-West Gate corridor. By December 2008 the State Government announced it was planning for such a link, anticipated to be a three kilometre road tunnel under Footscray
Footscray, Victoria
Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....
and the Maribyrnong River
Maribyrnong river
The Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne, Victoria , near Mount Macedon. It flows generally southward and combines with the Yarra River to flow into Port Phillip....
. Linking Dynon and Footscray Roads in the Port of Melbourne
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
precinct to Geelong Road in West Footscray, now known as the East-West road connection
East-West road connection
The East-West road connection is a proposed 18 kilometres long freeway standard road link in Melbourne, Australia, to run from the western suburbs to the Eastern Freeway. It was proposed in the 2008 East-West Link Needs Assessment report by Sir Rod Eddington, but similar ideas have been proposed...
its cost is estimated at more than $2.5 billion.
Suicide and other deaths
Police data show up to one suicide happens every three weeks at the West Gate Bridge. A 2004 coroner's report recommended anti-suicide fencing or barriers be erected on the bridge to deter people from taking their lives. In 2008, the bodies of a mother in her late 20s and her 18-month-old baby were found on the river bank below the West Gate Bridge, prompting further calls to erect a suicide barrier.Those who argue for a suicide barrier claim that most of those who jump from the West Gate Bridge do so through impulse and that police officers who try to save those who try to jump are putting their own lives in danger. There are multiple incidents of police officers dangling off the side of the bridge while holding onto would-be jumpers. A 2000 Royal Melbourne Hospital
Royal Melbourne Hospital
The Royal Melbourne Hospital , located in Parkville, Victoria an inner suburb of Melbourne is one of Australia’s leading public hospitals. It is a major teaching hospital for tertiary health care with a reputation in clinical research...
study on people who jumped from the bridge found at least 62 cases between 1991 and 1998. Seven people survived the 58-metre fall. Seventy-four percent of those who jumped from the bridge were male, with an average age of 33. More than 70 percent were suffering from mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. Of those who jumped off the West Gate Bridge, 31 percent fell on land. Some of those who land in water drowned afterwards.
In 2008, Melbourne girl, Darcy Freeman, was thrown off of the bridge by her father. She was only 4 years old. Her father was subject to a custodial order and was deeply disturbed by the verdict. As of April 2011 Freeman is guilty of murder.
In February 2009 the first stage of a temporary suicide barrier was erected, constructed of concrete crash barriers
Jersey barrier
A Jersey barrier or Jersey wall is a modular concrete barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to both minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing crossover in the case of head-on accidents....
topped with a welded mesh fence. By June that year it has been claimed that the fence has prevented two suicides. Most of the second stage of the barrier has been completed throughout the span of the bridge. The barriers are costed at $20 million.
See also
- List of disasters in Australia by death toll
- List of bridge disasters
- West Gate FreewayWest Gate FreewayWest Gate Freeway is a freeway in Melbourne, Australia, linking Geelong to Melbourne CBD and beyond. It is also a link between Melbourne and the west and linking industrial and residential areas west of the Yarra River with the city and port areas. The iconic West Gate Bridge is a part of the...
- Erskine BridgeErskine BridgeThe Erskine Bridge is a cable-stayed box girder bridge spanning the River Clyde in west central Scotland, connecting West Dunbartonshire with Renfrewshire....
- Tasman BridgeTasman BridgeThe 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...
- Cleddau BridgeCleddau BridgeThe Cleddau Bridge is a toll bridge on the A477 road that spans the River Cleddau between Neyland and Pembroke Dock, Wales. It was originally called the Milford Haven Bridge, Due to errors in the box girder design it collapsed during construction in 1970 and did not become operational until...
- Suicide bridgeSuicide bridgeA suicide bridge is a bridge used frequently to die by suicide, most typically by jumping off and into the water below ....