12 beautiful Australian bridges – in pictures
This week Sydney’s Gladesville Bridge celebrated 50 years spanning the Parramatta river. The elegant design required 78,700 tonnes of concrete and was the longest concrete arch span bridge in the world until 1980. We also take a look at a number of other historic and eye-catching bridges across the country
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Gladesville Bridge, NSW
With a 300m arch span, the Gladesville Bridge opened on 2 October 1964 and, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, ‘engineers declared its impressive arches, then the longest concrete arch span in the world, would stand for 2,000 years’Photograph: Roads and Maritime Services
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Ross Bridge, Tasmania
Completed in 1836, the Ross Bridge is just one of many historic bridges in Tasmania and is the third oldest sandstone bridge in Australia. Its design features more than 180 Celtic-style carvings and was constructed with the blood and sweat of convicts – including stonemasons Daniel Herbert and James ColebeckPhotograph: James Lane/AAP
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Anzac Bridge, NSW
The sun sets behind the Anzac Bridge. It replaced the Glebe Island Bridge in 1995 and in 1998 was named in honour of the men and women of the Australian and New Zealand Army, by the then premier of NSW, Bob Carr. It is best seen at night when the lights are twinkling, or just before evening sets inPhotograph: Melanie Campbell/AAP
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Webb Bridge, Victoria
Situated in the heart of Melbourne, the Webb Bridge is a cycling and pedestrian link that joins Docklands Park with Yarra’s Edge. It snakes 200m along the Yarra river in a tunnel of metal webbing and was designed by Denton Corker Marshall in collaboration with the artist Robert OwenPhotograph: AAP
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Story Bridge, Queensland
Brisbane’s Story Bridge has been connecting the city’s two halves for more than 74 years. The landmark bridge, constructed of 12,000 tonnes of steelwork and 22 storeys high, was designed by John Bradfield – the same man responsible for the Sydney Harbour BridgePhotograph: AAP/Atmosphere Photography
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Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge, NSW
Back in 1886, the completion of the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge was the final link to join the railway systems of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. It was opened by Sir Henry Parkes and used by the statesman as a powerful symbol of federationPhotograph: AAP/Destination NSW
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Sea Cliff Bridge, NSW
Proving true the phrase ‘location, location, location’, the appeal of the Sea Cliff Bridge is in its dramatic placement rather than the bridge itself. The construction of the bridge was no small, technical feat, chief among its challenges being the balanced curved bridge designPhotograph: AAP/Prancing Horse
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Stony Creek Falls Bridge, Queensland
If you want to experience the 80m radius curve of the Stony Creek Falls Bridge, get ready to hop a ride on the Kuranda Scenic railway. The trip will not only pass through 15 tunnels, you’ll cross multiple gorges and waterfalls – definitely not a ride for the faint of heartPhotograph: Masaru Kitano Snak Productions/Tourism Australia
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Barham Bridge, NSW
Crossing the winding Murray river is Barham Bridge, which opened in 1905. Built with timber truss, a steel lift span, and two lanes wide, the bridge connects Barham in NSW and Koondrook in VictoriaPhotograph: Rob Blackburn/Destination NSW
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Bethanga Bridge, NSW
This road bridge crosses over a flooded section of the Murray River valley, and which now forms part of the Hume Dam, in Albury. The Bethanga Bridge was constructed between 1927 and 1930Photograph: Rob Blackburn/Destination NSW
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Kurilpa Bridge, Queensland
Brisbane’s Kurilpa bridge opened in 2009 with a $63m price tag, and instantly provided locals a new way to cross the Brisbane river. The bridge is the combined work of architect Cox Rayner with companies Baulderstone and Arup, and is 470m long, with a 120m main spanPhotograph: Maxime Coquard/Tourism Australia
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Sydney Harbour Bridge, NSW
It required 6m hand-driven rivets, 53,000 tonnes of steel, 1,400 workers and eight years of long, hard labour, but on 1932 the Sydney Harbour Bridge was finally opened by the then NSW premier, Jack Lang. Since then millions of people have crossed it, climbed it and, of course, photographed itPhotograph: Nikki Short/AAP
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