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Anzac Bridge

Coordinates: 33°52′10″S 151°11′09″E / 33.869340°S 151.185780°E / -33.869340; 151.185780
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Anzac Bridge
Coordinates33°52′10″S 151°11′09″E / 33.86933°S 151.18578°E / -33.86933; 151.18578
Carries8 road lanes, pedestrians and bicycles
CrossesJohnstons Bay
LocaleSydney, New South Wales, Australia
Official nameAnzac Bridge
Maintained byRoads and Maritime Services
Characteristics
DesignCable Stayed
Total length805 m (2,641 ft)[1]
Width32.2 m (105 ft 8 in)
Longest span345 m (1,132 ft)[1]
History
Construction costA$170 million[2]
Opened1995
Location
Map

The Anzac Bridge is an 8-lane cable-stayed bridge spanning Johnstons Bay between Pyrmont and Glebe Island (part of the suburb of Rozelle), close to the central business district of Sydney, Australia. The bridge forms part of the Western Distributor leading from the Sydney CBD and Cross City Tunnel to the suburbs of the Inner West and Northern Sydney.

History

Glebe Island Bridge

There were two bridges over Johnstons Bay before the construction of the Anzac Bridge.

The first bridge was constructed as part of a project to move the abattoirs out of central Sydney, and to construct public abattoirs at Glebe Island.[3] The first pile of the original bridge was driven in October 1860.[4] The bridge was opened in 1862 and was a timber beam bridge 318.6 metres (1,045 feet 5 inches) long and 8.5 m (28 ft) wide with a 12 m (40 ft) swing section on the eastern side. It replaced a double steam punt crossing.[4]

The second Glebe Island Bridge was an electrically operated swing bridge opened in 1903, the year after the opening of the new Pyrmont Bridge over Sydney's Darling Harbour, which has a similar design. The bridge was designed by Percy Allan of the New South Wales Public Works Department who also designed the Pyrmont Bridge. Delays due to increasing traffic, which were exacerbated by having to close a major arterial road to allow the movement of shipping into Blackwattle Bay, led to the construction of the present-day Anzac Bridge. The 1903 bridge is still standing, but there is no access to pedestrians or vehicular traffic.

Anzac Bridge

Anzac Bridge pylons and cables

The Stay Cable design concept development and final design for the new bridge were carried out by the Roads & Traffic Authority of NSW and the construction by Baulderstone Pty. Ltd.[5] The bridge was opened to traffic on 3 December 1995 as the Glebe Island Bridge.[6]

The bridge was given its current name on Remembrance Day in 1998 to honour the memory of the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (known as Anzacs) who served in World War I. An Australian Flag flies atop the eastern pylon and a New Zealand Flag flies atop the western pylon. A bronze memorial statue of an Australian Anzac soldier ("digger") holding a Lee–Enfield rifle in the "rest on arms reverse" drill position was placed on the western end of the bridge on Anzac Day in 2000. A statue of a New Zealand soldier was added to a plinth across the road from the Australian Digger, facing towards the east, and was unveiled by Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark in the presence of Premier of New South Wales Morris Iemma on Sunday 27 April 2008.[7]

Description

The bridge is 32.2 m (105 ft 8 in) wide and the main span is 345 m (1,132 ft) long. The reinforced concrete pylons are 120 m (390 ft) high and support the deck by two planes of stay cables. Initially the stay cables were plagued by vibrations which have since been resolved by the addition of thin stabilising cables between the stay cables.[citation needed]

There is a pedestrian path / bikeway that runs along the northern side of the bridge, making possible a leisurely 30-to-40-minute walk from Glebe Point Road, down Bridge Road, over the Bridge and round Blackwattle Bay back to Glebe Point Road.[citation needed]

The bridge can carry a maximum of 180,000 cars per day. It reached its maximum capacity in 2002, only seven years after it was finished.[citation needed]

The bridge is now regularly patrolled by security guards as a counter-terrorism measure. Security cameras also monitor the walkway.[citation needed]

The bridge has had a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour), since being reduced from 70 km/h (43 mph) in January 2005.[8]

Originally, there were bus stops on the western side of the bridge. But, these stops were removed as there was a safety issue with buses pulling out into traffic which is travelling at speed, once the bus left the stopping area. The Australian Anzac statue on the northern side is adjacent to the defunct city-bound bus stop; the New Zealand Anzac statue

  • Anzac Bridge at dusk
    Anzac Bridge at dusk
  • Aerial view of Sydney Harbour from the west in 2008. Anzac Bridge is visible at lower centre right, while the second Glebe Island Bridge is visible to the left of Anzac Bridge
    Aerial view of Sydney Harbour from the west in 2008. Anzac Bridge is visible at lower centre right, while the second Glebe Island Bridge is visible to the left of Anzac Bridge
  • The Bridges stay cables were plagued by vibrations which have since been resolved by the addition of thin stabilizing cables (pictured) between the stay cables.
    The Bridges stay cables were plagued by vibrations which have since been resolved by the addition of thin stabilizing cables (pictured) between the stay cables.
  • Anzac Australian soldier statue on the north-western side of the bridge
    Anzac Australian soldier statue on the north-western side of the bridge
  • The point where the stay cables meet the top of the pylon
    The point where the stay cables meet the top of the pylon
  • The second Glebe Island Bridge viewed from water level, with the deck of the Anzac Bridge visible above
    The second Glebe Island Bridge viewed from water level, with the deck of the Anzac Bridge visible above

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "ANZAC Bridge". Structurae. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  2. ^ http://www.groveoz.info
  3. ^ "REMOVAL OF THE SLAUGHTER HOUSES FROM SYDNEY". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 October 1860. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  4. ^ a b "COMMENCEMENT OF THE GLEBE ISLAND BRIDGE". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 October 1860. Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  5. ^ Anzac Bridge at Structurae
  6. ^ "Anzac Bridge Sydney". member.rivernet.com.au. February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2008. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Samandar, Lema (27 April 2008). "Kiwi joins his little mate on Anzac Bridge watch". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  8. ^ Transport for NSW. "Safer Roads NSW" (PDF). Retrieved 25 September 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to ANZAC Bridge.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Glebe Island Bridge.

33°52′10″S 151°11′09″E / 33.869340°S 151.185780°E / -33.869340; 151.185780

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