The Murrumbidgee River railway bridge is a former railway bridge that carried the Main Southern railway line across the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, Australia. The original bridge, erected in 1881, was replaced in 2006.

Original bridge The original four span wrought iron lattice truss bridge opened on 16 January 1881. It was the second oldest bridge out of the twelve related wrought iron lattice truss series bridges built in Australia. Each of the four lattice truss spans were long which joined onto what was thought to be the longest timber viaduct in Australia.Iron Lattice Girder Railway Bridges National Trust of AustraliaRailway Lattice Bridge and Viaducts Institution of Engineers The bridge was considered as of major importance to the history of bridge engineering in Australia.

The spans were manufactured by P. & W. McClellan & Co., Glasgow weighing a combined . The northern approach was originally built with 215 timber trestles. These were replaced with steel trestles over a four-year period from 1897. The trestles were strengthened in 1994 as part of the One Nation project."Wagga Wagga Bridge" Railway Digest March 2007 pages 23-25 By 2000 a speed restriction over the bridge had been imposed.

Replacement bridge The bridge was removed and replaced with a new concrete bridge during a four-day shut down from 30 December 2006.ARTC New Wagga Rail Bridge Opens for Business Australian Rail Track Corporation 2 January 2007 The wrought iron lattice railway bridge was cut away using oxy cutters. One cut section of the bridge was donated to railway preservation group Tumbarail at Ladysmith.New $16m bridge for Wagga The Daily Advertiser 30 December 2006 The rest of the bridge was taken to Port Kembla for disposal. The new bridge allowed an speed limit to be introduced."Intelligence" Railway Gazette International March 2007 page 130

Engineering heritage award The bridge received a Historic Engineering Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.

See also

List of railway bridges in New South Wales

References

External links