Ryde Bridge, Vertical-lift road bridge in Parramatta River, Australia
Ryde Bridge is a dual steel structure carrying Concord Road across the Parramatta River between Ryde and Rhodes in New South Wales. The two parallel spans together handle six lanes of traffic and connect the two suburbs on a major local transport corridor.
The first section opened in 1935 under Premier Bertram Stevens as a key crossing for the region. A second parallel bridge was added in 1988 to handle rising traffic volumes on this busy route.
The bridge replaced a manual ferry service and stands as an engineering achievement in New South Wales transportation infrastructure development.
Traffic flows on both structures with the older northern span carrying vehicles in one direction and the newer southern structure in the opposite direction. Pedestrians can cross on walkways found on both sides of the bridge.
The older bridge half was originally designed as a vertical-lift structure to allow ships to pass upstream. This lifting mechanism has not operated since the late 1900s but remains visible as a remnant of the structure's original engineering purpose.
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