Dickabram Bridge, Railway bridge in Miva, Australia.
Dickabram Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the Mary River in Queensland with metal trusses and cast iron support columns. The structure serves both road and rail traffic in an unusual dual-use configuration.
The contract for the Kilkivan branch line, including this bridge, was awarded to McDermott, Owens & Co. on 8 August 1884. Construction was delayed in 1885 awaiting cast-iron cylinders for the central spans, and the bridge was tested with a two-engine train in November 1886. It opened to rail traffic on 6 December 1886 and to road traffic in March 1889.
The name comes from an Aboriginal word for sweet potato, referring to plants that once grew along the river banks. You can still see similar vegetation framing the Mary River today as you cross.
The bridge carries both road and rail traffic on a single deck; a kerb added in the 1970s–80s separates the two, replacing the gatekeeper who once controlled vehicles. The road deck and remaining piers are timber, and the decking was submerged only once, in the 1893 floods. The Kingaroy line closed in early 2010.
The bridge deck was submerged only once, in the 1893 floods. A kerb added in the 1970s–80s now separates road and rail traffic, removing the need for a gatekeeper. A plaque erected on 12 October 1986 marks the centenary as an Australian Bicentenary Project.
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