Sea Cliff Bridge

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Sea Cliff Bridge image courtesy of the Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW.

Sea Cliff Bridge is a hollow box, haunched girder bridge located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The $49 million bridge links the coastal, formerly coal mining, villages of Coalcliff and Clifton. Featuring two lanes of traffic, a cycleway and a walkway, Sea Cliff Bridge boasts spectacular views and is a feature of the scenic Lawrence Hargrave Drive.

Sea Cliff Bridge replaced a section of Lawrence Hargrave Drive that was permanently closed in July 2003 due to regular rock falls. A small public outcry emerged over the road closure as Lawrence Hargrave Drive is the only road directly linking Coalcliff, Stanwell Park, Otford and Helensburgh to the northern suburbs of Wollongong. However the subsequent opening of the bridge has been met with great public approval and increased business for the area's tourism industry. The bridge was officially opened by NSW Premier Morris Iemma at a 'ribbon cutting' ceremony on the 11 December 2005.

The Sea Cliff Bridge was named by 11 Year old schoolgirl Makenzie Russell (St. Brigids) following a naming competition opened to local primary school students.

The Sea Cliff Bridge was recently featured in a joint 2007 Ferrari/Shell Fuel television advertthat was shown in many countries around the world including Australia. The television advert featured a Ferrari Formula 1 car being driven along the Sea Cliff Bridge at high speed.