Seventh Avenue Bridge

Coordinates: 31°55′45″S 115°53′25″E / 31.9293°S 115.8904°E

View of the Seventh Avenue Bridge from Maylands railway station

Seventh Avenue Bridge is an historic bridge in Maylands, Western Australia due to be demolished and replaced in 2014. It allows vehicle traffic over the Midland railway line.

History

It was proposed as early as 1911,[1][2] and built in 1913.[3][4]

From the 1930s to the 1950s the bridge had attention due to repairs and safety issues.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

Replacement

The bridge is 100 years old, and considered a "defining feature" of Maylands by local residents. The bridge has reached the end of its design life, according to Main Roads Western Australia, and needs to be replaced with a safer structure. Local residents were not consulted during the design of the new bridge, which Maylands MP Lisa Baker and Maylands Residents and Ratepayers Association chairman Roger Tomlins saw as concerning and disappointing. Baker said that this would result in heritage value being lost. The old bridge would, however, be commemorated with $89,000 being spent on locally influenced artwork. Western Australian transport minister Troy Buswell did not believe community involvement was needed in the structural design of the bridge, which had been undertaken by qualified engineers to ensure the new structure would be built on the same footprint, while taking into consideration modern safety and operational standards.[11]

The replacement bridge will be built on the same space as the original bridge, but with larger dimension in length, width, and height. This will allow for additional railway tracks, allow larger vehicles to travel beneath the bridge, and heavier loads will be able to cross the bridge. The design includes a span length of more than 80 metres (260 ft), footpaths, noise walls, guard rails, and electrification screens. The project is funded by the state government, with tenders called for in January 2014 and work likely to begin a few months later, and taking approximately one year.[12] Public art will be included in the project to recognise the heritage value of the site, and be a "point of interest" for local residents and visitors. Local organisations will be involved in the artistic process, including the City of Bayswater, Maylands Historical and Peninsula Association, Maylands Business Association, Maylands Residents and Ratepayers Association and Creative Maylands.[3]

The project was announced in October 2012, with a small amount of pre-construction work undertaken at that time.[4]

Once this project is completed, similar work will be undertaken on the nearby Third Avenue Bridge, which is also at the end of its design life.[3][12]

See also

Media related to 7th Avenue Bridge, Maylands at Wikimedia Commons

References

  1. ↑ "MAYLANDS RAILWAY FACILITIES.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 1 November 1911. p. 8. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  2. ↑ "ROADS BOARDS.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 12 September 1911. p. 4. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Main Roads Western Australia. "Project Overview: Replacement of Seventh Avenue and Third Avenue railway bridges". Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ducey, Liam (16 October 2012). "Famed Seventh Ave bridge to be replaced". Eastern Reporter (Perth, Western Australia). Archived from the original on 1 February 2014.
  5. ↑ 1931 – "FIRES AT MAYLANDS.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 4 February 1931. p. 11. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  6. ↑ 1933 – "SEVENTH AVENUE BRIDGE.". The Daily News (Perth: National Library of Australia). 1 March 1933. p. 2 Edition: HOME EDITION. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  7. ↑ 1934 – "ROADS AND DRAINAGE.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 8 October 1934. p. 16. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  8. ↑ 1939 – "MAYLANDS BRIDGE REPAIRS.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 17 March 1939. p. 18. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  9. ↑ 1943 – "GENERAL NEWS.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 21 October 1943. p. 5. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  10. ↑ 1954 -"Bridge To Be Repaired.". The West Australian (Perth: National Library of Australia). 2 June 1954. p. 13. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  11. ↑ Acott, Kent (31 January 2014). "Maylands Heritage: Demolition a bridge too far for residents". The West Australian. p. 19.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Third & Seventh Avenue Bridges". Main Roads Western Australia. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.