George Chaffey Bridge | |
Image Upright: | 1.4 |
Coordinates: | -34.1842°N 142.1731°W |
Carries: | Sturt Highway |
Crosses: | Murray River |
Locale: | , New South Wales, Australia |
Ends: | Mildura, Victoria |
Named For: | George Chaffey |
Owner: | NSW Roads & Maritime Services |
Preceded: | Robinvale Bridge |
Followed: | Abbotsford Bridge |
Material: | Concrete |
Number Spans: | 9 |
Piers In Water: | 5 |
Replaces: | Mildura Bridge (1927–1985) |
Mapframe: | yes |
The George Chaffey Bridge is a road bridge in Australia that carries the Sturt Highway across the Murray River from Buronga to Mildura.
The previous Mildura Bridge was opened on 22 October 1927.[1] The design allowed for it to carry both road and railway traffic, but railway tracks were never laid.[2] It was a lift-span bridge supported by concrete pylons, with two approach spans on each side. Two of the truss spans and the lift span are now in the Mildura Marina.[3]
Named in honour of engineer George Chaffey, the current bridge opened on 12 March 1985, by the Federal Minister of Transport the Hon. Peter Morris, the Minister for Roads (New South Wales) the Hon. Laurie Brereton, and the Minister of Transport (Victoria) the Hon. Steve Crabb.[4] The project was funded under the Australian Bicentennial Road Development Programme, constructed at an estimated cost of $14 million.[5]
The nine-span, long and wide, prestressed concrete bridge was designed and constructed by the Department of Main Roads (New South Wales). The Victorian approach is long, with a six-span, high-strength reinforced concrete I-beam floodway bridge, long. The New South Wales approach to the main bridge crossing is long, and includes three floodway bridges.[6]