BRIDGES ON THE YARRA

The Queens Bridge is a historic road bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia. The bridge was built in 1889 and has five wrought iron plate girder spans, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The bridge was built by contractor David Munro, and replaced a timber footbridge built in 1860. The bridge is a very flat arch, and has five spans constructed of wrought iron plate girders. The bridge rests on iron cylinders filled with concrete, in groups of eight, with arched bracing between. It connects Market Street and William Street on the north bank to Queensbridge Street to the south. Trams on route 55 also cross the bridge.

Queen's Bridge, looking towards the Southwest, with the Crown Casino on the centre right

Standing on Queen's Bridge and looking to the East one sees the old Rail Sandridge Bridge, now converted to a footbridge

The Sandridge Bridge is a historic former railway bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia, which has been redeveloped in 2006 as a new pedestrian and cycle path featuring public art. It is the third bridge on the site and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The bridge is 178.4 metres long and is made up of five spans, measuring in length, from the south bank to the north bank: 36.9 metres.

The Sandridge Bridge

In 2001 the State Government held an expressions of interest process for refurbishment of the bridge, seeking commercial ventures, but the process was not successful and in 2003 Melbourne City Council and the Department of Sustainability and Environment took over. They committed $15.5 million to restore the bridge, create a plaza on the Southbank side and make connections to walkways on the Yarra north bank. In 2005 it was announced that artist Nadim Karam had been commissioned to create ten abstract sculptures in a piece titled "The Travellers", which represents the different types of immigrants who traditionally arrived by train over the bridge from Station Pier. Nine of the sculptures move across the bridge in a 15-minute sequence, moving on bogies running between the two bridge spans. The white arc of the newer Southgate Footbridge can be seen behind the Sandridge Bridge

Crossing the Sandridge Bridge

The Southgate Footbridge

Back on Queen's Bridge looking towards the West, and the Melbourne Exhibition Centre ("Geoff's Shed" commemorating former Premier Geoff Kennett). The King Street Bridge can be seen, taking King Street over the Yarra. The bridge continues south as an elevated viaduct, with the Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex built around it in later years. Another footbridge runs parallel to the road bridge and can be seen in front of it

A temporary structure - a bar and café built for the duration of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. This is located on the Southbank end of Queen's Bridge

And another view of the Sandridge Bridge looking from Southbank towards the City

This post is part of Louis' Sunday Bridges meme,
and also part of the Scenic Sunday meme.