Birkenhead Bridge
The Birkenhead Bridge is a bascule bridge in Adelaide, Australia that crosses the Port River.
Birkenhead Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Birkenhead Bridge in February 2010 | |
| Coordinates | 34.84230°S 138.50093°E |
| Carries | Nelson Street |
| Crosses | Port River |
| Locale | Lefevre Peninsula |
| Owner | Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure |
| Preceded by | Tom 'Diver' Derrick Bridge |
| Followed by | Jervois Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Bascule |
| Total length | 246 metres |
| Width | 16 metres |
| Clearance above | 5.4 metres |
| No. of lanes | 4 (as built) 2 (since 2014) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Adelaide Construction |
| Fabrication by | Perry Engineering |
| Opened | 14 December 1940 |
| |
In February 1938, the Government of South Australia awarded a contract to Adelaide Construction to build a bridge across the Port River from the Birkenhead to Port Adelaide with Perry Engineering contracted to supply the steelwork.[1] It was opened on 14 December 1940 by Governor Malcolm Barclay-Harvey.[2][3] It was one of only four bascule bridges in the world adapted for use by trolleybuses.[4]
In 2014, two of the four road lanes were converted into pedestrian and bike paths.[5] In 2020 the timber road deck is scheduled to be replaced with a fibre reinforced polymer deck and the timber footpath with aluminium.[6]
The bridge is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[7]
References
- Bridge over river at Adelaide The Argus 8 February 1938 page 2
- Birkenhead Bridge Opened The Advertiser 16 December 1940 page 16
- Birkenhead Bridge SA History Hub
- Trolleybuses Trundle over Birkenhead Bascule Bridge Among Ourselves issue 87 August 1960
- Port Adelaide's Birkenhead Bridge still moving more than 16,000 vehicles daily in 75th anniversary year ABC Radio Adelaide 22 September 2015
- Birkenhead Bridge Upgrade Works Project Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure
- Birkenhead Bridge South Australia Heritage Places
External links
