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 m long and is made up of five spans, measuring in length, from the south bank to the north bank: 36.9 m, 36.6 m, 36.3 m, 36.9 m and 31.7 m. The bridge is 17 m wide and the girders are 2.74 m high from the top to the bottom of the flange.
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Sandridge Bridge, Yarra River and Melbourne skyline from Riverside Quay |
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Sandridge Bridge - Department of Sustainability and Environment
