Narrows Bridge, Road and railway bridge in Perth, Australia

The Narrows Bridge carries the Mitchell and Kwinana freeways and the Mandurah railway line across the Swan River between Mill Point and Point Lewis. It consists of two parallel road bridges and, in the six-metre gap between them, a railway bridge. The original 1959 road bridge is a precast prestressed concrete structure with a vertical curve of up to 4% grade, founded on 160 Gambia piles driven through soft mud.

A bridge at the Narrows was first proposed in 1899, but the £13,000 cost was judged too high. Planning resumed in 1947, and construction of the first road bridge began in 1957 under Danish firm Christiani & Nielsen with J. O. Clough & Son. It opened on 13 November 1959, built with 160 Gambia piles to cope with soft mud 24 metres deep.

The bridge's name comes from the narrow stretch of the Swan River between Mill Point and Point Lewis. During construction in February 1959, Deputy Premier John Tonkin proposed calling it the Golden West Bridge, but the name was dropped because Golden West was a popular soft drink. It was listed on the state heritage register on 8 January 1999.

The photograph shows a separate narrower strip with railings along the right side of the deck, not paths on both sides. The bridge carries the Mitchell and Kwinana freeways between Mill Point and Point Lewis; the northern interchange land was reclaimed from Mounts Bay. Traffic is heaviest at peak times.

When completed, this was the world's largest precast prestressed concrete bridge, making it a technical milestone in construction history. This achievement reflected the innovative problem-solving needed to handle the Swan River's challenging ground conditions.