Holt-Bragg Bridge
Encyclopedia
Holt-Bragg Bridge is an arch bridge
that crosses Piles Creek at Somersby
on the Central Coast of New South Wales
, Australia
as part of the Pacific Highway
. It became open on 30 June 2009 as a replacement for the previous bridge that collapsed two years earlier during severe weather. It is named after the five people who perished when the bridge collapsed.
The Pacific Highway is the main road link from Sydney
to Brisbane
and travels alongside the coast. The section from Cowan
to Kariong
, where the Holt-Bragg Bridge is, follows a scenic winding route, however, with the majority of traffic using the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
.
The original bridge was built around 1930 when the new road linking Sydney to Newcastle
was opened. It replaced the road via Wisemans Ferry
that had become inadequate and meant that the majority of travel was made by railway or sea. It is located roughly on the original track from Hornsby
to Kariong constructed by George Peat in 1854 that was closed in 1899.
and torrential rain
caused by an intense low pressure system a short distance out to sea. The damage as a result of these storms resulted in them being declared a Natural disaster
. At approximately 4pm the road above Piles Creek gave way leaving a 5 metres (16.4 ft) wide by 10 metres (32.8 ft) deep fissure. Shortly afterwards, Adam Holt failed to stop and the car fell into the creek. Adam, along with his girlfriend Roslyn Bragg, their daughters Madison and Jasmine and nephew Travis Bragg were all killed.
A coroner's inquest
was established to discover the cause of deaths. It found that the failure of the Roads and Traffic Authority
(RTA) and Gosford City Council to take action or initiative to fix problems with the bridge led to the collapse. It also identified that Adam Holt was affected by cannabis
and alcohol
, but that this had not contributed to the accident.
The bridge was first identified as being in need of maintenance in 1984 when an RTA scientific officer had drawn attention to the corrosion
of galvanised iron
pipes used in the culvert
. In 1995, responsibility for the road was transferred from the RTA to Gosford City Council; however, the problems with the section were not identified to council engineer
s. In April 2000 the bridge slumped, however nothing was done to alleviate the problem until 2002 when the council requested an estimation for a major reconstruction of the culvert. In 2004, pavement repairs triggered a request by the council to ask for quotes for concrete lining of the culvert with tenders called. However, the information was not entered into the record system and no follow up action was taken.
1,900,000, but responsibility for maintenance of the bridge will be with Gosford City Council following its opening. The RTA agreed to name it the Holt-Bragg Bridge in memory of the deceased. Two bronze
commemorative plaque
s will be located at either end of the bridge on Somersby sandstone.
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
that crosses Piles Creek at Somersby
Somersby, New South Wales
Somersby is a semi-rural locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located to the northwest of Gosford along the Pacific Highway...
on the Central Coast of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
as part of the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
. It became open on 30 June 2009 as a replacement for the previous bridge that collapsed two years earlier during severe weather. It is named after the five people who perished when the bridge collapsed.
The Pacific Highway is the main road link from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and travels alongside the coast. The section from Cowan
Cowan, New South Wales
Cowan is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cowan is located 40 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Hornsby Shire and is part of the North Shore region. Cowan shares the postcode of 2081 with Berowra...
to Kariong
Kariong, New South Wales
Kariong is a locality of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, located to the west of Gosford along the Central Coast Highway. It is part of the City of Gosford local government area.Kariong in the local Original language means meeting place...
, where the Holt-Bragg Bridge is, follows a scenic winding route, however, with the majority of traffic using the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....
.
The original bridge was built around 1930 when the new road linking Sydney to Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
was opened. It replaced the road via Wisemans Ferry
Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales
Wisemans Ferry is a town north of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wisemans Ferry is located 75 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of Hornsby Shire, The Hills Shire, City of Hawkesbury and City of Gosford.The town is a...
that had become inadequate and meant that the majority of travel was made by railway or sea. It is located roughly on the original track from Hornsby
Hornsby, New South Wales
* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
to Kariong constructed by George Peat in 1854 that was closed in 1899.
Bridge collapse
On Friday, 8 June 2007 the Central Coast was battered by strong windsWind
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...
and torrential rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
caused by an intense low pressure system a short distance out to sea. The damage as a result of these storms resulted in them being declared a Natural disaster
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
. At approximately 4pm the road above Piles Creek gave way leaving a 5 metres (16.4 ft) wide by 10 metres (32.8 ft) deep fissure. Shortly afterwards, Adam Holt failed to stop and the car fell into the creek. Adam, along with his girlfriend Roslyn Bragg, their daughters Madison and Jasmine and nephew Travis Bragg were all killed.
A coroner's inquest
Coroner's Court of New South Wales
The name of "Coroners Court" is the generic name given to proceedings in which a Coroner holds an inquest or an inquiry in New South Wales. Coroners have jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person...
was established to discover the cause of deaths. It found that the failure of the Roads and Traffic Authority
Roads and Traffic Authority
The Roads and Traffic Authority is a former New South Wales government agency that was responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed State roads and provided funding to local councils for regional and local roads...
(RTA) and Gosford City Council to take action or initiative to fix problems with the bridge led to the collapse. It also identified that Adam Holt was affected by cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, but that this had not contributed to the accident.
The bridge was first identified as being in need of maintenance in 1984 when an RTA scientific officer had drawn attention to the corrosion
Corrosion
Corrosion is the disintegration of an engineered material into its constituent atoms due to chemical reactions with its surroundings. In the most common use of the word, this means electrochemical oxidation of metals in reaction with an oxidant such as oxygen...
of galvanised iron
Galvanization
Galvanization is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, in order to prevent rusting. The term is derived from the name of Italian scientist Luigi Galvani....
pipes used in the culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
. In 1995, responsibility for the road was transferred from the RTA to Gosford City Council; however, the problems with the section were not identified to council engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s. In April 2000 the bridge slumped, however nothing was done to alleviate the problem until 2002 when the council requested an estimation for a major reconstruction of the culvert. In 2004, pavement repairs triggered a request by the council to ask for quotes for concrete lining of the culvert with tenders called. However, the information was not entered into the record system and no follow up action was taken.
New bridge
The replacement bridge is due to be opened on 30 June 2009. The bridge was designed and constructed by the RTA at a cost of A$Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
1,900,000, but responsibility for maintenance of the bridge will be with Gosford City Council following its opening. The RTA agreed to name it the Holt-Bragg Bridge in memory of the deceased. Two bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
s will be located at either end of the bridge on Somersby sandstone.