Dickabram Bridge

Dickabram Bridge

Dickabram Bridge over the Mary River
Carries Motor vehicles, Railway
Crosses Mary River
Locale Miva, Queensland
Designer Henry Charles Stanley
Design Truss bridge
Material Timber, Steel
Total length 191 metres (627 ft)
Longest span 36.6 metres (120 ft)
Number of spans 14 (6.1m, 7.9m, three at 11m, 11.6m, 24.1m, 36.6m, 24.1m, 11.6m, two at 11m, 7.9m and 6.1m)
Vertical clearance 4.3 metres (14 ft)
Clearance below 23 metres (75 ft)
Constructed by McDermott Owen & Co.
Construction begin 1885
Construction end 6 December 1886
Heritage status Registered (ID 15956)

The Dickabram Bridge is a road and rail bridge over the Mary River near Miva, north-west of Gympie in Queensland, Australia. It was the major bridge on the Kingaroy line.

The heritage listed bridge is one of only two remaining road and rail bridges in Australia[1] and the only one in Queensland. It is the oldest remaining large steel truss bridge constructed in Queensland.[2]

The steel and timber truss bridge, built by McDermott Owen & Co., was completed in November 1886 and the line opened for traffic between Dickabram and Kilkivan on 6 December 1886. It is 191m long and stands 23m above the Mary River. All spans are metal trusses except for the 11m approach spans which are tied timber girders. The two river piers are cast iron cylinders; the remaining piers and road deck are timber.

The name of the bridge comes from a local Aboriginal word Dickabram meaning Sweet potato that grew along the river flats there. The bridge decking was submerged under water only once during the 1893 floods.[3] The bridge was registered on the Register of the National Estate in 1988.

The extensive restoration of the bridge, involving replacement of hardwood timber beams[1] and decking, was completed in April 2009.[2]

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