Sandridge Bridge, Melbourne

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Sandridge Bridge from Southbank (before the 2006 redevelopment)

The Sandridge Bridge is a historic former railway bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, which has been redeveloped in 2006 as a new pedestrian and cycle path and public space connecting a new Queensbridge Square at Southbank to Flinders Walk on the north bank. A series of metal statue-like structures called "The Travellers" has been erected along the bridge.

Constructed at a 33 degree angle to the river bank, the bridge provided a direct route from Flinders Street Station to Port Melbourne at Hobsons Bay on Port Phillip, carrying the Port Melbourne and St Kilda railway lines. It was last used for freight in the 1950s, and passenger services closed in 1987, with the replacement by light rail lines of Melbourne tram route 96 to St Kilda, and Melbourne tram route 109 to Port Melbourne.

The Sandridge Bridge is a historic structure, registered as a Melbourne heritage site. It was built by David Munro in 1888, one of the first railway structures in Melbourne to use steel girders rather than iron. The workforce included a young engineering student, John Monash. The bridge replaced two earlier railway bridges, erected in 1853 and 1859, for the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company's Sandridge (now Port Melbourne) railway line.

The bridge is 178.4 metres (585 ft) long and is made up of five spans, measuring in length, from the south bank to the north bank: 36.9 metres (121.1 ft), 36.6 metres (120.1 ft), 36.3 metres (119.1 ft), 36.9 metres (121.1 ft) and 31.7 metres (104 ft). The bridge is 17 metres (55.8 ft) wide and the girders are 2.74 metres (8.98 ft) high from the top to the bottom of the flange.

Sandridge Bridge, Yarra River and Melbourne skyline from Riverside Quay

[edit] References

• Sandridge Bridge - Department of Sustainability and Environment