Tasman Bridge
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| Tasman Bridge | |
 |
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| Carries | Pedestrians, automobiles, trucks |
|---|---|
| Crosses | Derwent River |
| Locale | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Total length | 4,650 feet |
| Width | 57'-2" |
| Vertical clearance | 150 feet |
| Opening date | December 23, 1964 |
| Coordinates | |
The Tasman Bridge is a five-lane bridge crossing the Derwent River, near the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania. The bridge has a total length (including approaches) of 1,395 metres (4,576 ft) – longer than the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It provides the main traffic route from the CBD (on the western shore) to the eastern shore - particularly Hobart International Airport and Bellerive Oval. It has a pedestrian footway on each side, but no dedicated lane for bicycles. However, steps to the pedestrian footway have recently been replaced with on-ramps.
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[edit] History
In the 1950's with the development of the Eastern shore (the old Hobart Bridge faced increasing difficulty in managing the larger volumes of traffic, and the bridge itself - constantly raising the lift span for shipping) it was decided to build a larger bridge. The total cost of the new bridge in conjunction with approach ramps and Lindisfarne interchange was in the area of 7,000,000.00 pounds. Construction commenced in May, 1960 and the bridge was first opened to traffic (2 lanes only) on August 18, 1964. The bridge was completed with all four lanes operational on December 23, 1964. During peak construction a labour force of over 400 men was employed on site.[1]
[edit] Disaster
On Sunday January 5, 1975, at 9:27 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time, the Tasman Bridge was struck by the bulk ore carrier Lake Illawarra, bound for the Electrolytic Zinc Company with a cargo of 10,000 tons of zinc concentrate (AusStats, 2002). It caused two pylons and three sections of concrete decking, totalling 127 metres (417 ft), to fall from the bridge and sink the ship. Seven of the ship's crewmen were killed, and five motorists died when four cars drove over the collapsed sections before the traffic was stopped. A major press shot showed a 3,000km old Holden Monaro GTS, along with an older EK Holden station wagon, perched balancing on the ledge.
The depth of the river at this point (35 metres (115 ft)) is such that the wreck of Lake Illawarra lies on the bottom, with concrete slab on top of it, without presenting a navigation hazard to smaller vessels.
The breakage of an important arterial link isolated the residents in Hobart’s eastern suburbs – the relatively short drive across the Tasman Bridge to the city suddenly became a 50 kilometre (31 mi) journey via the estuary's next bridge at Bridgewater. The only other vehicular crossing within Hobart after the bridge collapsed was the Risdon Punt, a cable ferry which crossed the river from East Risdon and Risdon, some five kilometres upstream from the bridge. However, it was totally inadequate, carrying only eight cars on each crossing, and although ferries provided a service across the Derwent River, it was not until December 1975 that a single lane Bailey bridge was opened to traffic, thereby restoring some connectivity.
The separation of Hobart saw an immediate surge in the small and limited ferry service then operating across the river. In a primary position to provide a service were the two ships of Robert Clifford, a Tasmanian mariner. He had introduced the locally-built ferries Matthew Brady and James McCabe to the river crossing, from the Central Business District of Hobart to the eastern shore, shortly before the collision. These two ships were soon joined by the Cartela, a wooden vessel of 1912 vintage, and other ships pressed into service by the Tasmanian Government, to ferry thousands of commuters across the river.
Following successful rebuilding of the Bridge, Clifford's organisation saw the ferry traffic fade quickly, but by then he had diversified into further building of ships. His company, Incat, has successfully exported vessels to China, Europe, and built vessels for the United States Navy. The company is one of the largest employers in Tasmania.
[edit] Reconstruction
Reconstruction of the Tasman Bridge commenced in October 1975. An important factor of the reconstruction is the improved safety measures. Some examples:
- Large vessels passing beneath the bridge must now do so slightly to the west of the original main navigation span.
- Personnel controlling ships (or harbour pilots) must be trained and then cleared for using the special laser lighthouse that indicates by colours whether the ship must be steered left or right to regain the centre line.
(Top) Lights that manage the Bridge's Lanes - All road traffic is now halted whilst large vessels transit beneath the bridge.
On top of these new safety measures implemented, the bridge was further upgraded to hold a fifth lane. This upgrade included the construction of lane management systems which would enable the new middle lane to have its direction changed. The system is comprised of a traffic light system and sign above each lane, pictured right. The signs, in conjunction with the traffic light system, employ a Pulley system to periodically pull the signs over their appropriate lanes.
The middle lane points toward the city side (or western shore) during a.m. peak hours and points back toward the eastern shore during p.m. peak hours. The lane generally points toward the eastern shore during non-peak hours.
The bridge officially reopened on October 8, 1977.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Live webcam view of Hobart including the Tasman Bridge
- webcam view of the Tasman Bridge
- Tasman Bridge Statistics
- Archival photographs of construction of the Tasman Bridge: page 1, page 2.
- 1995 article about Tasman Bridge safety
- Hobart To Tasman Bridge 1938-2000
[edit] References
- ^ Tasman Bridge Statistics. Tasmanian Goverment (2004). Retrieved on 2007-03-04.
- AusStats (2002-09-13). "Housing and Construction Feature Article - The Tasman Bridge". Tasmania Year Book 2000. Retrieved 2006-01-18.
- Reference: Lewis, Tom. By Derwent Divided. Darwin: Tall Stories, 1999.
 Tasmanian Highways - Road Infrastructure in Hobart |
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|---|---|
| Highways | Brooker Highway | Channel Highway | Domain Highway | East Derwent Highway | South Arm Highway | Southern Outlet | Tasman Highway |
| Bridges | Bowen Bridge | Bridgewater Bridge | Sorell Causeway | Tasman Bridge |
| Major Roads | Davey Street | Elizabeth Street | Goodwood Road | Macquarie Street | Main Road |
| Operators | Clarence City Council | Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources | Glenorchy City Council | Hobart City Council |
| Transport in Hobart | Hobart International Airport | Metro |
