Murrumbidgee River railway bridge, Wagga Wagga

Murrumbidgee River railway bridge, Wagga Wagga
Original bridge in May 2006
Coordinates 35°06′57″S 147°22′58″E / 35.115703°S 147.382822°E / -35.115703; 147.382822Coordinates: 35°06′57″S 147°22′58″E / 35.115703°S 147.382822°E / -35.115703; 147.382822
Carries Main Southern railway line
Crosses Murrumbidgee River
Locale Wagga Wagga
Characteristics
Design Lattice Truss
Total length 3,078 metres (10,100 ft)
Longest span 4 x 46 metres (150 ft)
Rail characteristics
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
History
Constructed by Messrs. R. & A. Amos
Fabrication by P. & W. McClellan & Co, Scotland
Construction start 1871
Construction end December 1880
Opened 16 January 1881
Closed 30 December 2006
Murrumbidgee River railway bridge
Location in New South Wales

The Murrumbidgee River railway bridge is a former railway bridge that carried the Main Southern railway line across the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, Australia. The original bridge, erected in 1881, was replaced in 2006.

Original bridge

The original four span wrought iron lattice truss bridge opened on 16 January 1881. It was the second oldest bridge out of the twelve related wrought iron lattice truss series bridges built in Australia. Each of the four lattice truss spans were 46 metres (150 ft) long which joined onto what was thought to be the longest timber viaduct in Australia.[1][2][3][4]

The spans were manufactured by P. & W. McClellan & Co., Glasgow weighing a combined 790 tonnes (870 short tons). The northern approach was originally built with 215 timber trestles.[5] These were replaced with steel trestles over a four year period from 1897. The trestles were strengthened in 1994 as part of the One Nation project.[6] By 2000 a 20 km/h (12 mph) speed restriction over the bridge had been imposed.[7]

Replacement bridge

The bridge was removed and replaced with a new concrete bridge during a four-day shut down from 30 December 2006.[8] The wrought iron lattice railway bridge was cut away using Oxy cutters. One cut section of the bridge was donated to railway preservation group Tumbarail at Ladysmith.[9] The rest of the bridge was taken to Port Kembla for disposal.[6] The new bridge allowed an 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit to be introduced.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "The reconstruction of the Wagga viaduct" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 591 January 1987 pages 3-15
  2. ↑ "Murrumbidgee River Rail Bridge (Place ID 15910)". Australian Heritage Database. Department of the Environment.
  3. ↑ Iron Lattice Girder Railway Bridges National Trust of Australia
  4. ↑ Railway Lattice Bridge and Viaducts Institution of Engineers
  5. ↑ "Railway Communication". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. LXIV (1939). New South Wales, Australia. 4 September 1897. p. 497 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. 1 2 "Wagga Wagga Bridge" Railway Digest March 2007 pages 23-25
  7. ↑ "Here & There" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 778 August 2002 page 18
  8. ↑ ARTC New Wagga Rail Bridge Opens for Business Australian Rail Track Corporation 2 January 2007
  9. ↑ New $16m bridge for Wagga The Daily Advertiser 30 December 2006
  10. ↑ "Intelligence" Railway Gazette International March 2007 page 130

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