List of crossings of the Murray River
The Murray River in south-eastern Australia has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. This article lists and briefly describes all of the recognised crossing points. Many of these had also developed as river ports for transport of goods along the Murray. Now almost every significant town along the river has a bridge or vehicle-carrying cable ferry nearby.
The crossings are listed in order starting from the Murray Mouth and proceeding upstream.
Contents |
[edit] South Australia
| Image | Crossing | Coordinates | Location | Built | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hindmarsh Island Bridge | 35°30′17″S 138°47′21″E / 35.50472°S 138.78917°E | Hindmarsh Island-Goolwa | 2001 | The controversial bridge replaced a ferry in March 2001 | ||
| Narrung Ferry | 35°30′46″S 139°11′17″E / 35.51278°S 139.18806°E | Narrung | crosses The Narrows between Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert | |||
| Wellington Ferry | 35°19′51″S 139°23′8″E / 35.33083°S 139.38556°E | Wellington | ||||
| Tailem Bend Ferry | 35°15′26″S 139°27′8″E / 35.25722°S 139.45222°E | Tailem Bend-Jervois | ||||
| Swanport Bridge | 35°08′51″S 139°18′33″E / 35.1475°S 139.30917°E | Murray Bridge | 1979 | At the end of the South Eastern Freeway | ||
| Murray Bridge | 35°06′55″S 139°16′48″E / 35.11528°S 139.28°E | Murray Bridge | 1927 (rail) 1879 (road) | Two bridges, side by side | ||
| Mannum Ferry | 34°54′37″S 139°19′7″E / 34.91028°S 139.31861°E | Mannum | Two parallel ferries | |||
| Purnong Ferry | 34°51′17″S 139°37′0″E / 34.85472°S 139.616667°E | Purnong | This is the narrowest crossing in South Australia | |||
| Walker Flat Ferry | 34°45′13″S 139°34′8″E / 34.75361°S 139.56889°E | Walker Flat | ||||
| Swan Reach Ferry | 34°33′51″S 139°35′50″E / 34.56417°S 139.59722°E | Swan Reach | ||||
| Blanchetown Bridge | 34°20′43″S 139°37′2″E / 34.34528°S 139.61722°E | Blanchetown | 1963 | The original bridge was constructed in 1963 on the Sturt Highway. there had been a ferry crossing since 1869. It was the first major prestressed concrete highway bridge in South Australia. In the 1990s it was found to not be structurally sound enough to safely carry B-double trucks. Until a new bridge could be built, these were diverted from near Monash via Morgan and Eudunda to rejoin the highway at Gawler, thus travelling further but avoiding the Kingston and Blanchetown bridges. | ||
| Morgan Ferry | 34°02′19″S 139°40′24″E / 34.03861°S 139.67333°E | Morgan | ||||
| Cadell Ferry | 34°01′32″S 139°45′45″E / 34.02556°S 139.7625°E | Cadell | ||||
| Waikerie Ferry | 34°10′30″S 139°59′13″E / 34.175°S 139.98694°E | Waikerie | ||||
| Kingston on Murray bridge | 34°13′37″S 140°21′59″E / 34.22694°S 140.36639°E | Kingston-on-Murray | 1969 | Sturt Highway A bridge replaced a ferry | ||
| Berri Bridge | 34°17′22″S 140°35′59″E / 34.28944°S 140.59972°E | Berri | 1997 | A bridge replaced two ferries | ||
| Lyrup Ferry | 34°15′8″S 140°38′54″E / 34.25222°S 140.64833°E | Lyrup | ||||
| Paringa Bridge | 34°10′51″S 140°46′33″E / 34.18083°S 140.77583°E | Paringa-Renmark | 1926 | Sturt Highway, liftspan bridge - one lane of traffic each way with pedestrian/bike path in the middle on a former railway alignment. |
As the ferries are registered as boats, each one has a name, usually named after a waterbird. As of August 2010, the ferry names are:[1]
- Narrung: Gull
- Wellington: Quail
- Tailem Bend: Plover
- Mannum large (downstream): Swan
- Mannum (small, upstream): Swallow
- Purnong: Kingfisher
- Walker Flat: Stilt II
- Swan Reach: Coot
- Morgan: Heron
- Cadell: Ibis
- Waikerie: Water Hen
- Lyrup: Avocet
[edit] In Victoria and New South Wales
The south bank of the river forms the border between these two states and former colonies, so in many cases there is a town on each side of the river. If two towns are named in this list, the Victorian one is first for clarity and consistency.
Most of the bridges downstream of Echuca are liftspan bridges to enable paddlesteamer traffic to pass underneath even in times of high water flow.
The Hume, Newell and Sturt Highway bridges are owned and managed by the Federal Government. The others are the responsibility of New South Wales and Victoria.
| Image | Crossing | Coordinates | Location | Built | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford Bridge | 34°06′50″S 141°59′17″E / 34.11389°S 141.98806°E | Yelta to Curlwaa | 1928 | 235 metres (771 ft) long, single lane lift bridge | ||
| George Chaffey bridge | 34°10′59″S 142°10′24″E / 34.18306°S 142.17333°E | Mildura to Buronga | 1985 | high arched bridge carrying the Sturt Highway, 331 metres (1,086 ft) long, 9.8 metres (32.2 ft) wide | ||
| Robinvale-Euston Bridge | 34°34′40″S 142°46′3″E / 34.57778°S 142.7675°E | Robinvale to Euston | 2006 | Replaced a liftspan bridge that was built as part of abandoned railway extension in 1924.[1]. | ||
| Tooleybuc Bridge | 35°01′49″S 143°20′7″E / 35.03028°S 143.33528°E | Piangil to Tooleybuc | 1925 | timber and steel truss, single lane restriction on lift span | ||
| Nyah Bridge | 35°10′22″S 143°23′30″E / 35.17278°S 143.39167°E | Nyah to Koraleigh | 1941 | 104 metres (341.2 ft), central lift span | ||
| Speewa Ferry | 35°12′49″S 143°30′31″E / 35.21361°S 143.50861°E | Speewa | 2-car capacity, 8 tonne (8.8 t) load limit | |||
| Swan Hill Bridge | 35°20′16″S 143°33′46″E / 35.33778°S 143.56278°E | Swan Hill | 1896 | 2 lanes except central lift span; 116 metres (380.6 ft) | ||
| Gonn Crossing Bridge | 35°30′13″S 143°57′24″E / 35.50361°S 143.95667°E | Murrabit to Ballbank | 1926 | 103 metres (338 ft) | ||
| Barham Bridge | 35°37′50″S 144°07′29″E / 35.63056°S 144.12472°E | Koondrook to Barham | 1904 | liftspan bridge, 99 metres (325 ft) | ||
| Echuca-Moama Bridge (road) | 36°07′19″S 144°45′13″E / 36.12194°S 144.75361°E | Echuca to Moama | 1879 | built as joint road/rail bridge, proposed for replacement/bypass | ||
| Echuca-Moama Bridge (rail) | 36°07′19″S 144°45′13″E / 36.12194°S 144.75361°E | 1989 | rail | |||
| Barmah Bridge | 36°01′8″S 144°57′19″E / 36.01889°S 144.95528°E | Barmah | 1966 | 168 metres (551.2 ft) replaced ferry | ||
| Tocumwal Rail Bridge | 35°48′50″S 145°33′24″E / 35.81389°S 145.55667°E | Tocumwal | 1895 | originally a road/rail bridge | ||
| Tocumwal bridge (road) | 35°48′47″S 145°33′32″E / 35.81306°S 145.55889°E | 1987 | Newell Highway 212 metres (695.5 ft) long, 12 metres (39.4 ft) wide | |||
| Cobram-Barooga Bridge (old) | 35°54′57″S 145°40′9″E / 35.91583°S 145.66917°E | Cobram to Barooga | 1902 | Old liftspan timber truss bridge (now pedestrian only) | ||
| Cobram-Barooga Bridge (new) | 35°54′58″S 145°40′9″E / 35.91611°S 145.66917°E | 2006 | New concrete bridge built immediately upstream of the old bridge | |||
| Yarrawonga Weir | 36°00′31″S 145°59′57″E / 36.00861°S 145.99917°E | Yarrawonga to Mulwala | 1939 | Weir Road, one lane along the weir wall - originally designated as a stock route | ||
| Yarrawonga Rail Bridge | 36°00′29″S 145°59′59″E / 36.00806°S 145.99972°E | 1989 | railway bridge, replaced earlier wooden bridge and earthen embankment | |||
| Mulwala Bridge | 36°00′20″S 146°00′18″E / 36.00556°S 146.005°E | 1924 | Crosses Lake Mulwala, 488 metres (1,601 ft) | |||
| John Foord Bridge | 36°00′25″S 146°23′43″E / 36.00694°S 146.39528°E | Wahgunyah to Corowa | 1892 | retained for local traffic | ||
| Federation Bridge | 35°59′8″S 146°24′40″E / 35.98556°S 146.41111°E | 2005 | Two lanes wide and 195 metres (639.8 ft) long, with a 95 metres (311.7 ft) approach bridge on the NSW side. [2] | |||
| John Conway Bourke Bridge | 35°59′37″S 146°37′15″E / 35.99361°S 146.62083°E | Howlong | 2001 | |||
| Lincoln Causeway/Union Bridge | 36°6′33″S 146°53′59″E / 36.10917°S 146.89972°E | Wodonga to Albury | 1961 | 4 lanes, 92 metres (301.8 ft) long, widened 1990 | ||
| Albury/Wodonga Rail Bridge | 36°6′29″S 146°53′59″E / 36.10806°S 146.89972°E | 1888 | double track - one Broad gauge plus one Standard gauge | |||
| Spirit of Progress Bridge | 36°6′33″S 146°53′37″E / 36.10917°S 146.89361°E | 2006 | New Hume Highway bridge, named for the former Spirit of Progress train.[2] | |||
| Heywood Bridge | 36°05′57″S 147°01′19″E / 36.09917°S 147.02194°E | Hume Dam to Bonegilla | 1984 | 124 metres (406.8 ft) long. | ||
| Bonegilla Bridge | 36°06′26″S 147°01′56″E / 36.10722°S 147.03222°E | Hume Dam to Bonegilla | 1941 | The Hume Weir wall, now closed to motorised traffic. single lane, 91 metres (298.6 ft) | ||
| Bethanga Bridge | 36°05′25″S 147°03′31″E / 36.09028°S 147.05861°E | Bellbridge | 1930 | on the Riverina Highway across Lake Hume | ||
| Wymah Ferry | 36°02′23″S 147°15′56″E / 36.03972°S 147.26556°E | Wymah | upstream end of Lake Hume, 2-car capacity, 11 tonne (12.1 t) load limit | |||
| Jingellic Bridge | 35°55′53″S 147°42′5″E / 35.93139°S 147.70139°E | Jingellic | 1959 | 156 metres (511.8 ft) | ||
| Tintaldra Bridge | 36°2′44″S 147°55′56″E / 36.04556°S 147.93222°E | Tintaldra | 1959 | steel truss bridge 185 metres (607 ft) | ||
| Towong Bridge | 36°7′26″S 147°59′46″E / 36.12389°S 147.99611°E | Towong | 1938 | 61 metres (200.1 ft) long | ||
| Bringenbrong Bridge | 36°10′8″S 148°01′31″E / 36.16889°S 148.02528°E | Bringenbrong | 1961 | 87 metres (285.4 ft) long, near Corryong on the Alpine Way | ||
| Indi Bridge | 36°14′46″S 148°02′5″E / 36.24611°S 148.03472°E | 1961 | Connects the Indi homestead in NSW to the Upper Murray Road. Steel girder, with concrete piles and a concrete deck. Single lane, 3.7 metres (12 ft) wide.[3] | |||
| Biggara Bridge | 36°17′46″S 148°02′17″E / 36.29611°S 148.03806°E | Biggara | 1951 |
[edit] References
- ^ "Ferry Locations and Operational Status". Government of South Australia, Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure. 12 August 2010. http://www.ezyreg.sa.gov.au/safety/marine/rec_boating/ferry_services_map.asp. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ^ "Spirit of Progress bridge sign up today". Border Mail. 24 May 2007. http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/spirit-of-progress-bridge-sign-up-today/377258.aspx. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
- ^ "Indi Bridge over Murray River". Roads and Transport Authority. http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301068. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
[edit] See also
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bridges over the Murray River |
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cable ferries on the Murray River |