Gladesville Bridge, Road bridge in Drummoyne, Australia.
Gladesville Bridge is a road crossing over the Parramatta River supported by a large concrete arch that spans approximately 305 meters. The structure stretches around 579 meters total and carries six traffic lanes along Victoria Road between two riverbanks.
Construction finished in 1964 and the bridge set a world record as the longest single-span concrete arch bridge of its time. The design blended proven arch-building principles with advanced concrete techniques available in that era.
The name misleads: the bridge stands between Drummoyne and Huntleys Point, not in Gladesville. Its 1881 predecessor, a steel truss with a swing span, carried a tramline and was opened for colliers bound for the Mortlake gasworks; its sandstone piers survive in Howley Park and beside the Huntleys Point ferry wharf.
The deck carries seven lanes on Victoria Road: three northbound and four southbound, linking Drummoyne with Huntleys Point. The 1881 bridge's sandstone piers survive nearby: the northern one beside the Huntleys Point ferry wharf, the southern in Howley Park, Drummoyne. The arch springs from solid sandstone rock on both banks.
The 305-metre span equals exactly 1,000 feet, and the crown of the arch stands 41 metres above the water. Each of the four parallel arches was built segment by segment from hollow prestressed concrete blocks lifted from barges onto timber centring. Flat hydraulic jacks, the vérins plats associated with Eugène Freyssinet, were pumped up between blocks so each finished arch lifted free and carried itself; the centring was then slid sideways for the next arch.
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