Pyrmont Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Pyrmont Bridge is a swing bridge
over Cockle Bay
in Darling Harbour (part of Port Jackson
) in Sydney
, Australia
.
The foundation stone for the new bridge was laid on 6 December 1899 by the Hon. E. W. O'Sullivan and the bridge was opened for traffic on 28 June 1902 by the Governor of New South Wales
, His Excellency Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson
KGB.
The engineer was Percy Allan
(1861–1930). The bridge had one of the largest swing spans in the world and it was one of the first to be powered by electricity.
Engineers Australia
has recognised the bridge as a National Engineering Landmark.
The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in the 1980s, the traffic having been diverted over new freeway structures built further south of Cockle Bay, and it was then re-opened as a pedestrian bridge as part of the re-development of Darling Harbour as a recreational pedestrian precinct. It now also carries an elevated monorail
which travels between Darling Harbour and the Sydney central business district. The monorail track rests on a pivot that allows the track to remain stationary while the bridge swings underneath, so monorails can continue to cross even when the bridge is opened.
The Pyrmont swing bridge is not to be confused with the similar Glebe Island Swing Bridge also engineered by Pery Allan a year later in 1903.
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
over Cockle Bay
Cockle Bay (Sydney)
Cockle Bay is a small bay in inner-city Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the western edge of the Sydney central business district....
in Darling Harbour (part of Port Jackson
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
) in 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...
, 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...
.
History and description
The first Pyrmont Bridge was opened on 17 March 1858, and was a wooden pile bridge with a iron centre swing span. This bridge was demolished around the time new Pyrmont Bridge was opened in 1902.The foundation stone for the new bridge was laid on 6 December 1899 by the Hon. E. W. O'Sullivan and the bridge was opened for traffic on 28 June 1902 by the Governor 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...
, His Excellency Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson
Harry Rawson
Admiral Sir Harry Holdsworth Rawson, GCB, GCMG RN , is chiefly remembered for overseeing the British Benin Expedition of 1897 that burned and looted the city of the Kingdom of Benin, now in Nigeria...
KGB.
The engineer was Percy Allan
Percy Allan
Percy Allan was a civil engineer who had responsibility for the design of a large number of public works in New South Wales, including the design of 583 bridges.- Early life :...
(1861–1930). The bridge had one of the largest swing spans in the world and it was one of the first to be powered by electricity.
Engineers Australia
Engineers Australia
The Institution of Engineers Australia, often shortened to IEAust and trading as Engineers Australia, is a professional body and not-for-profit organisation dedicated to being the national forum for the advancement of the engineering field within Australia...
has recognised the bridge as a National Engineering Landmark.
The bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in the 1980s, the traffic having been diverted over new freeway structures built further south of Cockle Bay, and it was then re-opened as a pedestrian bridge as part of the re-development of Darling Harbour as a recreational pedestrian precinct. It now also carries an elevated monorail
Sydney Monorail
The Metro Monorail is a single-loop Von Roll MkIII monorail in the city of Sydney, Australia, that connects Darling Harbour, Chinatown and the Sydney central business and shopping districts. There are eight stations on 3.6 km of track, with four trains operating simultaneously...
which travels between Darling Harbour and the Sydney central business district. The monorail track rests on a pivot that allows the track to remain stationary while the bridge swings underneath, so monorails can continue to cross even when the bridge is opened.
The Pyrmont swing bridge is not to be confused with the similar Glebe Island Swing Bridge also engineered by Pery Allan a year later in 1903.