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Sydney Harbour Bridge
Official name	Sydney Harbour Bridge
Carries	Trains, Motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles
Crosses	Port Jackson
Design	Single-Arch
Longest span	503 metres (1,650 ft)
Total length	1149 metres (3,770 ft)
Width	49 metres (161 ft)
Height	139 metres (456 ft}
Clearance below	49 metres (161 ft) at mid-span
Opening date	19 March 1932

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district (CBD) and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic image of both Sydney and Australia. The bridge is locally nicknamed The Coathanger^[1] because of its arch-based design, although this usage is less prevalent than it once was. For other uses, see Port Jackson (disambiguation). ... An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A compression arch suspended-deck bridge, or through arch bridge, is a bridge made from modern materials such as steel or reinforced concrete in which a compression arch rises above the deck. ... Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge located on Port Jackson Port Jackson is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia, also known as Sydney Harbour and is the largest natural harbour in the world. ... A view of the Sydney CBD from Farm Cove Map of the CBD The central business district (CBD) of Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, Australia, extends southwards for about 2 km from Sydney Cove, the point of first European settlement. ... The North Shore or Northern Suburbs refers to those suburbs of Sydney, Australia which are located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour, and between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River. ... The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... This article is about the metropolitan area in Australia. ... This article is about the structure. ...

The bridge was designed and built by Dorman Long and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough, Teesside and was the city's tallest structure until 1967.^{[citation needed]} According to Guinness World Records, it is the world's widest long-span bridge^[2] and its tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres (429.6 ft) from top to water level.^{[citation needed]} It is also the fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge in the world. Guinness World Records 2008 edition. ... This list of the largest arch bridges ranks the worlds arch bridges by the length of main span. ...

Structure

6,000,000 rivets were used in the construction of the bridge

The bridge's ends are located at Millers Point (in Sydney's Rocks area) and Milsons Point (in Sydney's lower North Shore area). It carries six lanes of road traffic on its main roadway, two lanes of road traffic (formerly two tram tracks) and a footpath on its eastern side, and two railway tracks and a bicycle path along its western side, being 305 mm (1 ft) larger than the east side. Image File history File links Underthebridge. ... Image File history File links Underthebridge. ... Millers Point is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... George Street, the main street of The Rocks The Rocks is a tourist precinct and historic area near the central business district (CBD) of Sydney, Australia. ... Milsons Point juts into Sydney Harbour from the northern side. ... The North Shore or Northern Suburbs refers to those suburbs of Sydney, Australia which are located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour, and between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River. ...

The road across the bridge is known as the Bradfield Highway, Sydney, and is about 2.4 km (1.5 miles) long, making it one of the shortest highways in Australia. (The shortest, also called the Bradfield Highway, is found on the Story Bridge in Brisbane). “Miles” redirects here. ... The Story Bridge is a cantilever bridge and the second crossing of the Brisbane River. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ...

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is not completely stationary. It can rise or fall up to 18cm depending on whether it is hot or cold.^[3]

Deck

At 48.8 m (151.3 ft) wide, it is the widest long-span bridge in the world (Guinness World Records, 2004).

The bridge deck portion of the highway is 1.15 km (0.71 miles) long. It is concrete and lies on trimmers (beams that run along the length of the bridge). The trimmers themselves rest on steel beams that run along the width of the bridge. The trimmers and beams are visible to boats and people that pass underneath the bridge.

Arch

The arch is composed of two 28-panel arch trusses. Their heights vary from 18 m (55.8 ft) at the center of the arch to 57 m (176.7 ft) (beside the pylons). A panel is a thing that blocks one area from another. ...

The arch span is 503 m and the weight of the steel arch is 39,000 tons. The arch's summit is 134 m (440 ft) above mean sea level, though it can increase by as much as 180 mm (7 in) on hot days as the result of steel expanding in heat. Two large metal hinges at the base of the bridge accommodate these expansions and contractions and thereby prevent the arch from being damaged. About 79% of the steel came from Middlesbrough, in the North East of England. The rest was Australian-made. The granite used was quarried in Moruya, New South Wales, the concrete used was also Australian made. This article is about the town in North East England. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Dolphin Beach, Moruya South Head Moruya is a small regional centre in New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Moruya River, approximately 300 kilometers south of Sydney. ... NSW redirects here. ...

The total weight of the bridge is 52,800 tonnes, and six million hand-driven rivets hold the bridge together. The rivets were made at the Park Bridge Ironworks in Lancashire England. Solid rivets Metal wheel with riveted spokes and tyre. ... Park Bridge is situated in the Medlock Valley near the border of Oldham and Ashton under Lyne, Tameside [Historically Lancashire. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

The Dawes Point pylon

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x3072, 3860 KB) Summary Dawes Point pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x3072, 3860 KB) Summary Dawes Point pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia. ...

Pylons

The two pairs of pylons at each end are about 89 m (276 ft) high and are made of concrete and granite. The granite was quarried at Moruya, New South Wales, 250 km south of Sydney. Dolphin Beach, Moruya South Head Location of Moruya in New South Wales Moruya is a small regional centre in New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Moruya River, approximately 300 kilometers south of Sydney. ...

Abutments, which support the ends of the bridge, are contained at the base of the pylons. They prevent the bridge from stretching or compressing due to temperature variations. Otherwise, the pylons serve no structural purpose and are primarily to visually balance the bridge itself. They were never an essential part of the design but were added to allay concerns about structural integrity.^[4]

Although inserted into the design for their aesthetic value, all four pylons have now been put to use: a museum and tourist centre with a lookout of the harbour is contained in the south eastern pylon. The south western pylon is used by the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) as a base for their CCTV cameras overlooking the bridge and the roads around that area. The two pylons on the north shore are now venting chimneys for fumes from the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. The RTA maintenance shed for the bridge is contained within the bottom of the southern pylon and the traffic management shed (tow trucks and safety vehicles used on the bridge) is contained in the bottom of the northern pylon. This article refers to a surveillance system. ... Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Northbound The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a tunnel in Sydney, Australia. ...

History

"There the proud arch Colossus like bestride

Yon glittering streams and bound the strafing tide"

— Prophetic observation of Sydney Cove by Erasmus Darwin.^[5] This article is about Erasmus Darwin who lived 1731–1802; for his descendants with the same name see Erasmus Darwin (disambiguation). ...

Early proposals

There had been plans to build a bridge as early as 1815, when Francis Greenway proposed that a bridge be built across the harbour. Nothing came of this. Francis Greenway Hyde Park Barracks, designed by Francis Greenway; Old Colonial Georgian architectural style; drawing by Hardy Wilson in 1914 Francis Howard Greenway (20 November 1777 – September 1837) was an iconic Australian colonial architect. ...

The building of the current bridge can be said to have started in 1890, when a royal commission determined that there was a heavy level of ferry traffic in the Sydney Harbour area, best relieved with the construction of a bridge. Vehicular access to the north shore was undertaken with a series of smaller bridges located further westwards in the harbour, but this was insufficient for the traffic in the Sydney/North Sydney area.

Planning

Designs and proposals were requested in 1900, but a formal proposal was not accepted until 1911. In 1912, John Bradfield was appointed chief engineer of the bridge project, which also had to include a railway. After travelling extensively to look at a number of bridges worldwide, he based his idea upon New York City's Hell Gate Bridge. Bradfield completed a formal design for a single arch bridge in 1916, but plans to implement the design were postponed until 1922, primarily because of World War I. John Job Crew Bradfield (December 26, 1867 - September 23, 1943) was an engineer who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and had a grand vision for Sydneys railway system that has only been partly fulfilled. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... The Hell Gate Bridge (originally the New York Connecting Railroad Bridge) is a 1,017-foot (310 m) steel arch railroad bridge between Astoria in the borough of Queens and Randalls and Wards Islands (which are now joined into one island and are politically part of Manhattan) in New York... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

Sydney Harbour from the air, showing the Opera House, the CBD, Darling Harbour, the Bridge, the Parramatta River, North Sydney and Kirribilli in the foreground

In November 1922 the New South Wales parliament passed laws that allowed the bridge's construction. Construction tenders for the bridge were requested the same year, and the British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd, Middlesbrough won. To offset concerns about a foreign firm participating in the project, assurances were given by Bradfield that the workforce building the bridge would all be Australians. The building of the bridge coincided with the construction of a system of underground railways in Sydney's CBD, known today as the City Circle, and the bridge was designed with this in mind. The bridge was designed to carry six lanes of road traffic, flanked by two railway tracks and a footpath on each side. Both sets of rail tracks were linked into the underground Wynyard railway station, on the south side of the bridge, by symmetrical ramps and tunnels. The eastern-side railway tracks were intended for use by a planned rail link to the Northern Beaches; in the interim they were to be used to carry trams from the North Shore into a terminal within Wynyard station. Download high resolution version (1760x1168, 717 KB)Sydney Harbour shot taken from the air. ... Download high resolution version (1760x1168, 717 KB)Sydney Harbour shot taken from the air. ... The Parliament of New South Wales consists of the Governor of New South Wales, the New South Wales Legislative Council and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. ... Iron-making has been known in Cleveland since the Romans found iron slags in North Yorkshire, with small-scale iron-making known to have taken place at Rievaulx, Whitby and Guisborough Abbeys in the 17th Century. ... This article is about the town in North East England. ... Sydneys underground railways do not form a true metro, because they are extensions of suburban main line services and are not a completely segregated system. ... The Central Business District of Sydney, Australia. ... The City Circle is a system of underground passenger railway lines located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that make up the heart of the Sydney passenger railway network, owned and operated by CityRail, a New South Wales government agency. ... Inside Wynyard railway station Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2. ... Manly Beach The Northern Beaches is a general term used to describe the place in which many people who consider themselves to be elite or just somewhat snobby live. ... A modern tram in the Töölö district of Helsinki, Finland A tram (or tramway, trolley, streetcar, tramcar, Straßenbahn) is a railborne vehicle (lighter than a train) for transport of passengers (or, occasionally, freight). ...

Serious initiatives started after the end of World War I. Tenders were called for in 1923 either an arch or a cantilever bridge would meet the requirements. Dr J.J.C. Bradfield was responsible for setting the parameters of the tendering process. He and his staff were to ultimately oversee the entire bridge design and building process. The Bradfield Highway, which is the paved section of the bridge and its approaches, still bears his name to this day.

The tender of Dorman Long and Co. Ltd., of Middlesbrough, England for an arch bridge was accepted. The Dorman Long and Co's Consulting Engineer, Sir Ralph Freeman, carried out the detailed design of the bridge. The design was similar to New York's Hell Gate Bridge built in 1916. The Hell Gate Bridge was a little shorter in span but was much lighter in construction as it only carried four railway tracks. Iron-making has been known in Cleveland since the Romans found iron slags in North Yorkshire, with small-scale iron-making known to have taken place at Rievaulx, Whitby and Guisborough Abbeys in the 17th Century. ... This article is about the town in North East England. ...

The design was also similar to that of the later Tyne Bridge in Newcastle Upon Tyne in England. Tyne Bridge looking east towards the modern The Sage Gateshead and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge, with the earlier Swing Bridge in the foreground The Tyne Bridge is a bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Construction

The arch being constructed. Painting by Grace Cossington Smith (1926).

The construction project itself began in 1923, with the demolition of 800 homes and a high school campus. The owners of these homes received compensation, but their occupants did not. Image File history File links The Bridge in Curve (1926) painting by Grace Cossington Smith, Australian artist. ... Image File history File links The Bridge in Curve (1926) painting by Grace Cossington Smith, Australian artist. ... Grace Cossington Smith (April 22, 1892 - December 10, 1984) was an Australian artist. ...

The building of the bridge was under the management of Bradfield. Three other people were involved in the bridge's design and construction: Laurence Ennis, the engineer-in-charge at Dorman Long and Co was the main supervisor (Bradfield visited occasionally throughout the project, and in particular at the many key stages of the project, to inspect progress and make managerial decisions); Edward Judge was Chief Technical Engineer of Dorman Long and later became President of the British Iron and Steel Federation; Sir Ralph Freeman was hired by the company to design the accepted model in further detail. Later a bitter disagreement broke out between Bradfield and Freeman as to who actually designed the bridge. Another name connected with the bridge's design is that of Arthur Plunkett. Iron-making has been known in Cleveland since the Romans found iron slags in North Yorkshire, with small-scale iron-making known to have taken place at Rievaulx, Whitby and Guisborough Abbeys in the 17th Century. ... Edward Judge. ... Sir Ralph Freeman (27 November 1880 – 11 March 1950) was an English civil engineer, responsible for the design of several of the worlds most impressive bridges. ... Arthur Lancelot Bonner (Lance) Plunkett was a civil engineer involved in the design of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. ...

The official ceremony to mark the "Turning of the First Sod" occurred on the 28th July 1923. This was followed by the building of two worksheds at Milsons Point to assist in building the bridge — the light and heavy workshops. Their purpose was to build the bridge's many parts.

HMAS Canberra (1927) sailing under the completed arch in 1930 from which the deck is being suspended.

In January 1925, the excavations to build the abutments and approach spans began. In October 1925, the building of the abutments and approach spans themselves began, and these were completed in September 1928. Construction of the bridge itself began in December 1928, with the construction of the bridge parts in the workshops. ImageMetadata File history File links HMAS_Canberra_sailing_into_Sydney_Harbour_in_1930. ... ImageMetadata File history File links HMAS_Canberra_sailing_into_Sydney_Harbour_in_1930. ... See HMAS Canberra for other ships of this name. ...

Construction of the arch of the bridge began in 1929, with two separate teams building the arch on each side using creeper cranes. The first panel was erected on the southern side in March 1929. The southern end of the bridge was worked on a month ahead of the northern end, in order to detect any errors and to ensure that they did not happen on the northern side.

The bridge nearing completion in 1931 including the construction of the decorative pylons.

During construction the two halves of the arch were held up by numerous support cables. Once the arch halves were completed the cables were slowly released to bring the two halves of the arch together. This was finalised on the afternoon of 19 August 1930. Ennis and four associates personally witnessed this whilst standing on top of the bridge. Following a parting that occurred due to the contracting of metal in the evening, the ends were rejoined at 10 pm, and have remained joined since then. The support cables were then surplus to the design and removed. They were subsequently used to provide the support cables for the Walter Taylor Bridge, over the Brisbane River in the western suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland. is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Walter Taylor Bridge, Brisbane The Walter Taylor Bridge is a bridge forming the eleventh crossing of the Brisbane River. ... The Brisbane River is situated in southeast Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. ... For other uses, see Brisbane (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Queensland (disambiguation). ...

The road and the two sets of tram and railway tracks were completed in 1931. Power and telephone lines, and water, gas and drainage pipes were also all added to the bridge in that year. On 19 January 1932, the first test train, a steam locomotive, safely crossed the bridge. About 90 others also crossed the bridge in the months that followed as part of a series of tests to ensure the bridge's safety. is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The construction worksheds were demolished after the bridge was completed, and the land that they were on is now occupied byLuna Park and the North Sydney Swimming Pool. For other places with the same name, see Luna Park (disambiguation). ...

The standards of industrial safety during construction were poor by today's standards. Sixteen workers died during construction,^[6] but surprisingly only two from falling off the bridge. Several more were injured from unsafe working practices undertaken whilst heating and constructing its rivets, and deafness experienced by many of the workers in later years was blamed on the project.

The total financial cost of the bridge was $10 million (double the original quote). This was not paid off in full until 1988.

Opening

De Groot declares the Bridge open.

The bridge was formally opened on 19 March 1932. Amongst those who attended and gave speeches were the State Governor, Sir Philip Game, the Minister for Public Works, and Ennis. The Premier of NSW, Labor politician Jack Lang, was to open the bridge by cutting a ribbon at its southern end. Image File history File links De_Groot_cutting_the_ribbon. ... Image File history File links De_Groot_cutting_the_ribbon. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Air Vice-Marshal Sir Philip Woolcott Game (March 30, 1876–February 4, 1961) was a British Royal Air Force commander and Governor of New South Wales, Australia. ... John Thomas Lang (December 21, 1876 - September 27, 1975) was a prominent Australian politician during the early twentieth century. ...

However, just as he was about to do so, a man in military uniform moved forward on horseback and slashed the ribbon with a sword, declaring the bridge open "in the name of His Majesty the King and all the decent citizens of NSW."^{[citation needed]} He was promptly arrested. The ribbon was hurriedly retied and Lang performed the official opening ceremony. After he did so, there was a 21-gun salute and a RAAF flypast. The intruder was identified as Francis de Groot. He was convicted of offensive behaviour (he was fined £5) after a psychiatric test proved he was sane. He was a member of a right-wing paramilitary group called the New Guard, opposed to Lang's leftist policies and resentful the fact that King George V hadn't been asked to open the bridge. De Groot was not a member of the regular Army but his uniform allowed him to blend in with the real cavalry. This incident was one of several that Lang had with the New Guard in that year. George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... The Red Arrows and Concorde conclude a special flypast over Buckingham Palace on 4 June, 2002 celebrating the Queens Golden Jubilee. ... Colonel Francis Edward de Groot (24 October 1888 - 1 April 1969) holds a notorious place in Australian history for his high-profile upstaging of New South Wales Premier Jack Lang at the official opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. ... The New Guard was a paramilitary organisation that existed in Australia in the 1930s[1]. Though it had some members from other parts of Australia, its membership and support base was predominantly confined to the State of New South Wales and its capital city, Sydney. ...

A similar ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge's northern side by North Sydney's mayor, Alderman Primrose, was carried out without incident. It was later discovered that Primrose was also a New Guard member, but his role in and knowledge of the de Groot incident, if any, are unclear.

A message from a primary school in Tottenham, 340 miles (550 km) away in rural NSW, arrived at the bridge on the day and was presented at the opening ceremony. It had been carried all the way from Tottenham to the bridge by relays of school children, with the final relay being run by two children from the nearby Fort Street Boys' and Girls' schools. Other features of the opening ceremony included a vast display of floats and marching bands — one quite remarkable by Depression standards. The public was allowed to walk on the highway. Fort Street High School is a coeducational, academically selective high school currently located in Petersham, Sydney, Australia. ...

There had been numerous preparatory arrangements. On 14 March 1932, three postage stamps were issued to commemorate the imminent opening of the bridge. One of these stamps, with a face value of five shillings, is worth several hundred dollars today. is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Several songs were also composed in advance for the occasion. These have now been largely lost or forgotten.

The bridge itself was regarded as a triumph over Depression times, earning the nickname "the Iron Lung", as it kept many Depression-era workers employed. An Emerson iron lung. ...

The bridge has been the site of 40 suicides, many of which took place within months of the bridge's opening, during the Great Depression.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ...

Operations

Road

From the Sydney CBD side, motor vehicle access to the bridge is normally via Grosvenor Street, Clarence Street, Kent Street, the Cahill Expressway, or the Western Distributor. Drivers on the northern side will find themselves on the Warringah Freeway, though it is easy to turn off the freeway to drive westwards into North Sydney or eastwards to Neutral Bay and beyond upon arrival on the northern side. The Cahill Expressway was the first true freeway constructed in Sydney, Australia. ... The Warringah Freeway looking south at its widest point - 16 lanes View of the Warringah Freeway looking north, over the inner western carriageway. ... North Sydneys high-rise commercial district. ...

The Bridge originally only had four wider traffic lanes occupying the central space which now has six, as photos taken soon after the opening clearly show. The width of the lanes now is so small that buses passing each other in adjacent lanes do so a few inches apart.

In 1958, tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. Lanes 7 and 8 now connect the bridge to the elevated Cahill Expressway that carries traffic to the Eastern Distributor.

In 1988, work began to build a tunnel to complement the bridge. It was determined that the bridge could no longer support the increased traffic flow of the 1980s. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was completed in August 1992. It is intended only for use by motor vehicles. Before it was officially opened for use, the tunnel was made open for pedestrian access, with people on that day able to walk down the tunnel's roadway. Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Northbound The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a tunnel in Sydney, Australia. ...

The Bradfield Highway is designated as a Travelling Stock Route which means that it is permissible to herd livestock across the bridge, but between midnight and dawn, and after giving notice of intention to do so. In practice, due to the high density urban nature of modern Sydney, and the relocation of abattoirs and markets, such an event has not taken place for approximately half a century. In Australia, the Travelling Stock Route or TSR is a road authorised for use by stock such as sheep or cattle when the owners need them to travel by foot from one location to another. ...

Tidal flow

Southern approach to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, showing the overhead lane marker gantries

The bridge is equipped for tidal flow operation, permitting the direction of traffic flow on the bridge to be altered to better suit the morning and evening rush hours traffic patterns. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2576x1932, 927 KB) Author - shultz6 Date - September 25, 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2576x1932, 927 KB) Author - shultz6 Date - September 25, 2006 I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1. ... The Lions Gate Bridge from the south end in Stanley Park, Vancouver. ...

The bridge has eight lanes in total, numbered one through eight from west to east. Lanes three, four and five are reversible. One and two always flow north. Six, seven and eight always flow south. The default is four each way. For the morning rush hour, the lane changes on the bridge also require changes to the Warringah Freeway, with its inner western reversible carriageway directing traffic to the bridge lane numbers three and four southbound. The Warringah Freeway looking south at its widest point - 16 lanes View of the Warringah Freeway looking north, over the inner western carriageway. ...

The bridge has a series of overhead gantries which indicate the direction of flow for each traffic lane. A green arrow pointing down to a traffic lane means the lane is open. A flashing red 'X' indicates the lane is closing, but is not yet in use for traffic travelling in the other direction. A red 'X' means the lane is in use for oncoming traffic. This arrangement was introduced in the 1990s, replacing a slow operation where lane markers were manually moved to mark the centre median.

It is possible to see odd arrangements of flow during night periods when maintenance occurs, which may involve completely closing some lanes. Normally this is done between midnight and dawn, due to the enormous traffic demands placed on the bridge outside these hours.

Tolls

Misty evening in the early 1980s

There is currently a toll of $3.00 for all vehicles headed into the CBD (southbound). There is no toll for northbound traffic (though taxis traveling north may charge passengers the toll in anticipation of the toll the taxi must pay on the return journey). There are toll plazas at the northern and southern ends. The two eastern lanes (which continue over the Cahill Expressway at the southern end of the bridge) have their tollbooths at the northern end, while the other southbound lanes (for CBD traffic) are serviced by tollbooths at the southern end of the bridge. There is a bridge-long median strip between lanes 6 and 7 to separate traffic which has already paid the toll (at the northern end) from other southbound traffic (which must pay the toll at the southern end). Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 512 pixelsFull resolution (1772 × 1133 pixel, file size: 547 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph of the bridge on a misty evening in the early 1980s File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 512 pixelsFull resolution (1772 × 1133 pixel, file size: 547 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photograph of the bridge on a misty evening in the early 1980s File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared... The Cahill Expressway was the first true freeway constructed in Sydney, Australia. ...

The toll was originally placed on travel across the bridge, in both directions, to recoup the cost of its construction. This cost was recovered in the 1980s, but the toll has been kept (indeed increased) by the State Government's main roads infrastructure department (the RTA) to recoup the costs of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. ... The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is a New South Wales (Australia) Government agency responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. ... Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Northbound The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a tunnel in Sydney, Australia. ...

After the decision to build the Sydney Harbour Tunnel was made in the early 1980s, the toll was increased (from 20 cents to $1, then to $1.50, and finally to $2 by the time the Tunnel opened) to pay for its construction. The Tunnel also had an initial toll of $2 southbound. After the increase to $1, the concrete barrier on the Bridge separating the Bradfield Highway from the Cahill Expressway was increased in height, because of the large numbers of drivers crossing it illegally from lane 6 to 7, in order to avoid the toll. The Toll for all southbound vehicles was increased to $3 in March 2004. Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Northbound The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a tunnel in Sydney, Australia. ...

Originally it cost a car or motorcycle six pence to cross, a horse and rider being three pence. Use of the bridge by bicycle riders (provided that they use the cycleway) and pedestrians is free. Later governments capped the fee for motorcycles was capped at one-quarter of the passenger vehicle cost, but is once again the same as the cost for a passenger vehicle.

Pedestrians

Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Northwest

Pedestrian access from the northern side involves climbing an easily-spotted flight of stairs at Milsons Point. Pedestrian access on the southern side is more complicated, but signposts in the Rocks area now direct pedestrians to the long and sheltered flight of stairs that leads to the bridge's southern end. These stairs are located near Gloucester Street and Cumberland Street in the Sydney Rocks area. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2032x1524, 848 KB) Summary Author - Myself (Bryce roney) Location - Sydney, Australia Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge from the South. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2032x1524, 848 KB) Summary Author - Myself (Bryce roney) Location - Sydney, Australia Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge from the South. ... George Street, the main street of The Rocks The Rocks is a tourist precinct and historic area near the central business district (CBD) of Sydney, Australia. ...

The bridge can also be accessed from the south by getting on Cahill Walk, which runs along the Cahill Expressway. Pedestrians can access this walkway from Circular Quay by a flight of stairs, or a lift, alternately it can be accessed from the Botanical Gardens. The Cahill Expressway was the first true freeway constructed in Sydney, Australia. ...

Rail

The bridge lies between Milsons Point and Wynyard railway stations, located on the north and south shores respectively, with two train lines running along the western side of the bridge. Milson's Point station is part of the North Shore line. The original Milsons Point railway station was opened as the southern terminus of the North Shore line on 1 May 1893. ... Inside Wynyard railway station Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2. ... The North Shore Line is a part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney, Australia, operated by CityRail. ...

In 1958, tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks they had used were removed and replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. The original ramp that took the trams into their terminus in the underground Wynyard railway station is still visible at the southern end of the main walkway under lanes 7 and 8 although the tunnels have been sealed off. Inside Wynyard railway station Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2. ...

Maintenance crew painting the bridge

ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 432 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 432 KB) Summary Photo taken and supplied by Brian Voon Yee Yap. ...

Maintenance

In 2006, the first complete repainting for many years commenced. A reason for the decision was the concern that weight of the many layers of paint acquired over the years might be having a destructive effect on the bridge's structure. Because of the previous regime of continuous maintenance painting with lead-based paint, precautions had to be taken to prevent falling paint from contaminating the harbour. This required that each section being painted be sealed off and blasted to remove old paint, then extracted by vacuum. Look up Vacuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Tourism

The New South Wales and Australian flags respectively on top of the Harbour Bridge

The South-east pylon for many years operated as lookout and tourist attraction for Sydney, containing a number of telescopes and antiquated arcade games which operated on pennies, long after that currency had gone out of operation. The couple that ran this tourist venue also kept a number of white cats which gave the interior of the pylon a memorable odour. The pylon has recently been renovated and returned to its tourist function.^[7] ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1497 KB) View of the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge from ontop of the South Pylon. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1497 KB) View of the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge from ontop of the South Pylon. ... Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour with the city skyline. ...

Since 1998, BridgeClimb^[8] has made it possible for tourists to climb the southern half of the bridge. Tours run throughout the day, from dawn to dusk and are only cancelled for electrical storms or high wind. Night climbs are also available. Groups of climbers are provided with protective clothing appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions and are given an orientation before climbing. During the climb, attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. Each climb begins on the eastern side of the bridge and ascends to the top. At the summit, the group crosses to the western side of the arch for the descent. Each climb is a three-and-a-half-hour experience.

In December 2006, BridgeClimb^[9] launched an alternative to climbing the upper arches of the bridge. The Discovery Climb allows climbers to ascend the lower chord of the bridge and view its internal structure. From the apex of the lower chord, climbers ascend a massive staircase to a platform at the summit.

The cost for the climbing excursion is $179-295 AUS and there are some restrictions in place. Visitors are not allowed to bring their own cameras or any other personal gear with each person even being required to go through a metal detector and take an alcohol-breath test, however the authority in charge takes photos which are available to those who climb it.

Celebrations Of The Harbour Bridge

Since the opening, the bridge has been the focal point of much tourism and national pride.

In 1982, the bridge celebrated the 50th anniversary of its opening. Once again, the bridge was closed to vehicles and pedestrians allowed full access for the day. The celebrations were attended by Edward Judge, who represented Dorman Long.

Australia's bicentennial celebrations on 26 January 1988 attracted large crowds in the bridge's vicinity as merrymakers flocked to the foreshores in order to view the events on the Harbour. The highlight was the biggest parade of sail ever held in Sydney, with square-riggers from all over the world, surrounded by hundreds of smaller craft of every description, passing majestically under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The day's festivities culminated in a fireworks display in which the bridge was the focal point of the finale, with fireworks streaming from the arch and roadway. This was to become the pattern for later firework displays. is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

During the millennium celebrations in 2000, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with the word "Eternity", as a tribute to the legacy of Arthur Stace a Sydney artist who for many years inscribed that word on pavements in chalk in beautiful Copperplate writing. A millennium (pl. ... The word Eternity was a famous graffito which was written numerous times in chalk on the streets of Sydney, Australia from the 1940s through to the 1960s. ... Arthur Malcolm Stace (1884 - 30 July 1967), otherwise known as Mr. ...

The Olympic fireworks in 2000

In May 2000 the bridge was closed to vehicular access for a day to allow a special reconciliation march — the "Walk for Reconciliation" — to take place. This was part of a response to an Aboriginal Stolen Generation inquiry, which found widespread suffering had taken place amongst Australian Aboriginal children forcibly placed into the care of white parents in a little-publicised state government scheme. A large number of Australians walked the bridge in a symbolic gesture of crossing a divide. Image File history File links Olympic_fireworks. ... Image File history File links Olympic_fireworks. ... Portrayal of The taking of the children on the Great Australian Clock, Queen Victoria Building, Sydney The Stolen Generation (or Stolen Generations) is a term used to describe the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, usually of mixed descent who were removed from their families, under the rationale of... Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ...

During the Sydney 2000 Olympics in September and October 2000, the bridge was adorned with the Olympic Rings. It was included in the Olympic torch's route to the Olympic stadium. The men's and women's Olympic marathon events likewise included the bridge as part of their route to the Olympic stadium. A massive fireworks display at the end of the closing ceremony ended at the bridge. The East-facing side of the bridge has been used several times since as a framework from which to hang static fireworks, especially during the elaborate New Year's Eve displays. The 2000 Summer Olympics or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games celebrated in 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... Modern day marathon runners The word marathon refers to a long-distance road running event of 42. ... For other uses, see Fireworks (disambiguation). ... For other articles with similar names, see New Year (disambiguation). ...

In 2005 Mark Webber drove a Williams-BMW Formula One Car across the bridge.

Walkers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge's 75th Anniversary with LED caps.

Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 1200 pixel, file size: 88 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (900 × 1200 pixel, file size: 88 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation...

75th anniversary

In 2007, the 75th anniversary of its opening was commemorated with an exhibition at the Museum of Sydney, called "Bridging Sydney" [4]. An initiative of the Historic Houses Trust, the exhibition features dramatic photographs and paintings with rare and previously unseen alternative bridge and tunnel proposals, plans and sketches. Main door of Museum of Sydney The Museum of Sydney is built on the ruins of the house of Australias first governor-general, Governor Phillip. ... The Historic Houses Trust (HHT) is an Australia-based statutory authority within the Government of New South Wales Ministry for the Arts. ...

On 18 March 2007, the Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary. The occasion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the Governor of New South Wales, Marie Bashir and the Premier of NSW, Morris Iemma. The bridge was subsequently open to the public to walk southbound from Milsons Point or North Sydney. Several major roads, mainly in the CBD were closed for the day. An Aboriginal smoking ceremony was held at 7pm. is the 77th day of the year (78th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... List of Governors of New South Wales See Governors of the Australian states for a description and history of the office of Governor. ... Her Excellency Professor Marie Roslyn Bashir, AC, CVO (born 1930) is the current Governor of New South Wales and Chancellor of the University of Sydney. ... Morris Iemma (pronounced Yemma), born 21 July 1961, is an Australian politician and the Premier of New South Wales. ... Milsons Point juts into Sydney Harbour from the northern side. ... See also: North Sydney, Nova Scotia North Sydney is the name of a suburb, local and federal government area, and commercial district on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... Languages see Indigenous Australian languages Religions see Australian Aboriginal mythology Australian Aborigines ( , aka Aboriginal Australians) are a class of peoples who are identified by Australian law as being members of a race indigenous to the Australian continent. ...

Approximately 250,000 people (50,000 more than were registered) took part in the event. Bright yellow souvenir caps were distributed to walkers. A series of speakers placed at intervals along the bridge formed a sound installation. Each group of speakers broadcast sound and music from a particular era (eg. King Edward VIII's abdication speech; Gough Whitlam speech at Parliament House in 1975), the overall effect being that the soundscape would "flow" through history as walkers proceeded along the bridge. A light show began after sunset and continued late into the night, where the bridge was bathed in constantly-changing, multi-coloured lighting, designed to highlight structural features of the bridge. In the evening the bright green caps were replaced by orange caps with a small, bright LED attached. The bridge was closed to walkers at about 8:30 PM. Sound sculpture is one term for the multimedia artform where, as the name suggests, sculpture produces sound or, less often, the reverse. ... King Edward VIII King of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, King of Ireland Emperor of India His Majesty King Edward VIII, (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David), later His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor (23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was the second British monarch of the House... Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC (born 11 July 1916), known as Gough Whitlam (pronounced goff), is an Australian former politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia. ... Old Parliament House today Opening of Parliament House in May 1927 Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. ... LED redirects here. ...

New Year's "Bridge Effect"

Main article: Sydney Harbour New Years Eve Fireworks

As part of the fireworks display on New Year's Eve each year since 1998, the Sydney Harbour Bridge has what is referred to coloquially as the "Bridge Effect", in which a light display on a framework is used to complement the fireworks. As the scaffolding and framework are clearly visible for some weeks before the event, revealing the outline of the design, there is much speculating as to how the effect is to be realised. The effects have been as follows: For other articles with similar names, see New Year (disambiguation). ...

• 1998-99 - Smiley face with hair.
• 1999-2000 - "Eternity" in Copperplate writing, in honour of Arthur Stace
• 2000-01 - Rainbow Serpent and Federation Star.
• 2001-02 - Uluru
• 2002-03 - Dove of Peace
• 2003-04 - Light show
• 2004-05 - Disco ball
• 2005-06 - Love Heart (3 concentric love hearts with lights behind the middle)
• 2006-07 - Coathanger and a diamond to celebrate the bridge's 75th anniversary or Diamond Jubilee in 2007.
• 2007-08 - An Hourglass.

The smiley has gone through many incarnations over the years, but it consistently retains the same features. ... The word Eternity was a famous graffito which was written numerous times in chalk on the streets of Sydney, Australia from the 1940s through to the 1960s. ... Copperplate refers to the use of inscribed sheets of copper in printing. ... Arthur Malcolm Stace (1884 - 30 July 1967), otherwise known as Mr. ... The Rainbow Serpent/Snake is a major mythological being for Aboriginal people across Australia, although the creation stories associated with it are best known from northern Australia. ... The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation. ... For the band, see Ayers Rock (band). ... Gari Melchers, Mural of Peace, 1896. ... A light show consists of lasers which move in a programmed sequence, usually with music that is playing. ... A mirrored disco ball A disco ball, mirror ball, or ball mirror is a roughly spherical object that reflects light directed at it in many directions, producing a complex display. ... The traditional heart shape appears on a 1910 St. ... Coathanger may be either: a coat hanger (for clothes) the Coathanger (astronomy), another name for Brocchis Cluster coathanger (football) a dangerous high tackle in Australian Rules Football Sometimes refers to: the Big Coathanger is a nickname sometimes given to the Sydney Harbour Bridge. ... This article is about the mineral. ... A Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary. ... For other uses, see Hourglass (disambiguation). ...

Gallery

Walkers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ...	The Bradfield Highway from a car driving north across the bridge. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (816x616, 135 KB)View of the Sydney harbour bridge, driving northwards, photo taken by me, 29 July 2005. ...	Seen from the Rocks. A climbing party is visible near the top. Download high resolution version (1000x621, 230 KB)Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney, Australia. ... George Street, the main street of The Rocks The Rocks is a tourist precinct and historic area near the central business district (CBD) of Sydney, Australia. ...	Sydney Harbour Bridge as viewed from east Circular Quay. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 108 pixelsFull resolution (10225 × 1381 pixel, file size: 1. ... Categories: Suburbs of Sydney | Incomplete Sydney suburbs ...
Sydney Harbour Bridge as viewed from Kirribilli on the North Shore. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (9000x2025, 4269 KB)Sydney Harbour Bridge as seen from the North Shore suburb of Kirribilli. ... Kirribilli is a North Shore harbourside suburb of Sydney, Australia. ...	Sydney Harbour Bridge as viewed from the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ...

See also

• Story Bridge, Brisbane — The other major bridge designed by John Bradfield.
• List of arch bridges by length
• Sydney Harbour New Years Eve Fireworks

The Story Bridge is a cantilever bridge and the second crossing of the Brisbane River. ... List of arch bridges by length of main arch: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ...

References

Internet Archive headquarters is in the Presidio, a former US military base in San Francisco. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Other sources

• Four papers on the design and construction of the Bridge in volume 238 of the Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1935

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Wikinews has related news:

Commuter chaos in Sydney after wind damages lines on Harbour Bridge

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sydney Architecture

• Sydney Harbour Bridge is at coordinates 33°51′08″S 151°12′38″E / -33.852222, 151.210556 (Sydney Harbour Bridge)Coordinates: 33°51′08″S 151°12′38″E / -33.852222, 151.210556 (Sydney Harbour Bridge)
• Sydney Harbour Bridge in the Structurae database
• Sydney City Council
• BridgeClimb
• Sydney Harbour Bridge turns 75 - Feature from Daily Telegraph
• 75th Anniversary Celebrations

Webcams: Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Wikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Structurae is an on-line database containing works of structural and civil engineering of all kinds such as Bridges, High-rise buildings, towers, dams, etc. ...

• Road Traffic Authority webcams

Images:

• Bridge during construction
• Air views of the opening celebrations, 19 March 1932 / photographed by W. E. Searle
• Buildings and roads around North Sydney and Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1958–1961 / Wolfgang Sievers
• Sydney Harbour Bridge during the Olympic Games, 19-26 September 2000 / Loui Seselja

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