Princes Bridge, Melbourne
The original Princes Bridge in Melbourne, Australia was laid in 1846 and the bridge was opened in 1851. The bridge was a single span 150 ft (46 m) bluestone and granite arch bridge, with a rise of only 24 ft (7 m) and was at the time, one of the longest, flattest stone arch bridges in the world. Built with government funds, the bridge was designed by David Lennox. It was opened on 15 November without tolls. It was known as Lennox’s Bridge.[1]
Due to increasing traffic, construction on a new bridge began in 1886 and it was opened on 4 October 1888, in time for the second International Exhibition to be held in Melbourne. As with many historic Melburnian buildings and bridges, the bridge is built on solid bluestone bulwarks with plenty of cast iron. The bridge was named Princes Bridge after Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII).[2]
1927 The structure of the bridge was strengthened to bear heavier traffic. It is 120ft wide and consists of three river spans each of ten arched girders carried on masonry piers, and - on the south side- a land span of 24ft over a roadway on the river bank. The latter part of the bridge of the bridge is carried by ten iron girders spanning the road, on which a series of continuous girders at 4ft 6in centres are supported with buckled plates riveted to the top flanges to carry the road bed[3]... Read more.