Spencer Street Bridge

Spencer Street Bridge
Coordinates	37°49′23″S 144°57′21″E / 37.822942°S 144.955893°ECoordinates: 37°49′23″S 144°57′21″E / 37.822942°S 144.955893°E
Carries	Road, trams, pedestrians
Crosses	Yarra River
Locale	Melbourne, Australia
Characteristics
Material	All steel superstructure[1]
Total length	405 ft (123 m)[2]
Width	80.6 ft (24.6 m) Roadway 12 ft (3.7 m) footways[2]
Height	28.5 ft (8.7 m)[3]
Longest span	130 ft (40 m)[4][5]
Number of spans	3[2]
Piers in water	Concrete on cylindrical caissons faced with bluestone down to rock[2]
History
Architect	Royal Victorian Institute of Architects Mr Oakley Mr Kermode Mr Perrin[6]
Engineering design by	Mr W. D. Chapman[7]
Constructed by	Railways Construction Branch
Construction begin	28 October 1927[8]
Construction end	1930
Construction cost	£168,700[7][9]

The Spencer Street Bridge is a road and tram bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It connects Spencer Street on the north bank with Clarendon Street on the south.

During construction engineers knew deep foundations would be required to find bedrock, but at 20 metres below sea level they struck a red gum stump that took three weeks work to remove. It was dated at about 8,000 years old and appears to have lived for well over 400 years.^[10] The cantilever girder type, with steel girder suspended span bridge was completed in 1930,^[2][11] with an adjacent glass and steel covered footbridge built alongside in 1998, as part of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.^{[12][13][14][15][16]}

Gallery

• 
  The parallel glass and steel footbridge
• 
  Yarra River & Spencer Street Bridge
• 
  Spencer Street Bridge 1930 Plaque

References

1. "SPENCER-STREET BRIDGE.". The Examiner. Launceston, Tas.: National Library of Australia. 29 June 1928. p. 11 Edition: DAILY. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
2. "BRIDGES THAT SPAN AUSTRALIAN RIVERS.". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 19 March 1932. p. 4 Supplement: Sydney Harbour Bridge Supplement. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
3. "BROADCASTING PICTURES.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 12 April 1930. p. 23. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
4. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 22 September 1928. p. 16. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
5. "FINAL DESIGN FOR THE SPENCER STREET BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 22 September 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
6. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 4 April 1930. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
7. "NEW CITY BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 13 February 1930. p. 9. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
8. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE BEGUN.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 29 October 1927. p. 31. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
9. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 29 January 1930. p. 7. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
10. "7 Bridges of Melbourne". www.whitehat.com.au. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
11. "Road and Bridge Works". Engineering Heritage Victoria. home.vicnet.net.au. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
12. Arup. "Spencer Street Footbridge". www.arup.com. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
13. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 29 July 1927. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
14. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE GROWS.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 31 January 1929. p. 5. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
15. "SPENCER STREET BRIDGE PROGRESSES.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 2 December 1927. p. 13. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
16. "BUILDING SPENCER STREET BRIDGE.". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 17 February 1928. p. 13. Retrieved 27 November 2012.

External links

• Spencer Street Bridge, Victorian Heritage Database
• SPENCER STREET BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, 0.75 CUBIC YARD GRAB IN ACTION IN DEEP CYLINDERS MAY 1928, Photograph, PROVWiki
• Arup: Spencer Street Footbridge, Melbourne, Australia