Roseville Bridge

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For the covered bridge in Indiana, see Roseville Bridge (Indiana).

Early evening traffic on Roseville Bridge, looking south-west.

Roseville Bridge crosses Middle Harbour in Sydney, Australia. It is the only crossing besides Spit Bridge.

[edit] History

Roseville Bridge is the second bridge to cross Middle Harbour in this area. The original bridge was opened in 1924 and was a low-level two-lane bridge. It was located downstream of the current bridge, and connected Babbage Road to what is today called Healey Way, which is the entrance to Davidson Park within Garigal National Park. The suburbs east of Middle Harbour grew rapidly in the years following the opening of Roseville Bridge and in 1966 the Liberal Askins (Bob Askins was the member for Pittwater) government opened the current six-lane, high-level bridge. Along with the bridge, a significant upgrade of the approach roads was completed, which became the six-lane Warringah Road. This upgraded section of road is approximately 2km in length.

The 1924 bridge survived the opening of the new bridge, and provided pedestrian access only, until it was demolished in 1974, along with Roseville Baths. Almost nothing remains from these structures.

[edit] Today

In 21st century Sydney, Roseville Bridge is part of a major throughfare from the Pacific Highway at Roseville to the Northern Beaches and suburbs east of Middle Harbour. Due to the halt of the construction of the Warringah Expressway across Middle Harbour to Wakehurst Parkway and the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation (which is the only part of the Warringah Expressway built on the Northern Beaches) by the Labor Wran government, there are today only two other major roads to these areas: Mona Vale Road, and Spit Road which crosses Middle Harbour downstream from Roseville Bridge using the Spit Bridge. Because of this, Roseville Bridge is heavily trafficked during peak times - which may be because with its six lanes and freeway (80 km/h) speed limit, it presents a tempting alternative to the congested Military and Spit Roads. Northern Beaches commuters know that if the Warringah Expressway had been completed in 1980 (as originally planned) then they would have been able to experience these optimal freeway conditions to both the North Sydney and Sydney City Central Business Districts.