Along with the Sydney Opera House, the Harbor Bridge, Sydney's largest bridge and one of the largest arch bridges in the world, is perhaps the city's main attraction. Locals call the bridge “Hanger” for its distinctive shape.
The Harbor Bridge, built back in 1932 across Port Jackson Bay, connects Sydney's business center with the North Shore. Before this, the bay was crossed by ferry, although the first designs for the bridge were proposed by various engineers back in the mid-19th century. Today, 8 highways, 2 railway lines, as well as pedestrian and bicycle paths are laid across the bridge. By the way, there is a toll to cross the bridge - about $2.
The length of the arched span of the bridge is 503 meters, which is only 15 meters less than the span of the world's longest arched bridge, Fayetteville, built over a gorge in West Virginia, USA. And the total length of the bridge is 1149 meters.
The steel arch of the Harbor Bridge, weighing 39 thousand tons, rises 139 meters above the waters of the bay. Any sea vessels can freely pass under it. Interesting fact: on hot days, due to the expansion of heated metal, the height of the arch can increase by 18 cm!
Since 1998, regular excursions have been held along the bridge - along the side arch you can climb to the very top of the Harbor Bridge, from where a stunning panorama of the city opens.
Since its opening on March 19, 1932, the Harbor Bridge has become a true symbol of Australia's economic stability. At a time when America was bending under the yoke of the Great Depression, $20 million was spent on the construction of this unique structure in Sydney!
Since the beginning of the last century, with the development of the automobile industry, transport links in Sydney have proven to be very problematic. The fact is that the city is cut into two parts by Sydney Cove - an arm of the huge Port Jackson Bay. The smaller part, called North Sydney and lying on the left bank, was accessible from the city center only by water.
Since the mid-19th century, many architects have proposed their projects to the government, of which there were 24 in total, including 1 tunnel. But they were all rejected because they had a number of shortcomings. As a result, the city authorities instructed the chief engineer of the Public Works Department, J. Crewe Bradfield, to draw up technical specifications for the project, and in 1924 they announced a tender for its implementation, which was won by the London construction company Dorman Long.
The largest arch bridge of that time took 8 years to build. However, even today it remains the second largest, only slightly inferior to the Fayetteville Bridge in the USA, West Virginia. Modern technologies suggest constructing large span structures using a suspended method, so the Harbor Bridge will remain on the world's list of the largest arched structures for a long time to come.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge consists of a single span, the length of which is 503 m, while the total length of the structure is 1149 m. Its height above the sea is 139 m, not only small coasters, but also ocean liners can easily pass under it.
An interesting fact is that on hot days the height of the metal arch can increase by as much as 18 cm! This steel structure weighs 39 thousand tons, and the entire bridge weighs almost 53 thousand tons. It took more than 6 million rivets to connect all the metal parts.
The span width of 49 m allowed the designers to take care of everyone and place here an 8-lane highway, 2 railway lines, a bicycle path and a pedestrian sidewalk.
Every day the bridge is subject to serious load - about 150 thousand vehicles pass through it. Australians show no concern about this. Despite the fact that the simplest technical means were used during construction, the bridge is absolutely reliable - after all, once 82 steam locomotives were driven onto it at once to be tested!
For several years now, events have been held on the bridge. arch tours.
Visitors who want to climb to the very top are provided with climbing equipment and a safety rope. This pleasure is not cheap; the excursion costs from 200 to 300 dollars.
Today, the toll on the Harbor Bridge is about $3. Many years ago, when it first opened, motorists paid 6d and riders 2d. It is surprising that with such minimal fees, the construction of the bridge was fully paid for already in 1988.
Probably, J. Bradfield would be very surprised if he learned that the maintenance of his brainchild annually costs the authorities 5 million dollars, this is a quarter of the entire amount spent on its construction. Yes, money is subject to inflation, but such monumental architectural structures are not!
For more than 10 years now, popular events have been held on the Harbor Bridge every New Year's Eve. pyrotechnic shows.
More than a billion television viewers admire this mesmerizing spectacle every year.
The Australians, finding some kind of external similarity, jokingly nicknamed the Harbor Bridge “the hanger”. But, despite the slight irony, residents and visitors of Sydney have been admiring the perfect form and grandiose splendor of this amazing architectural miracle for more than 80 years.
Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest steel arch bridge in the world. Its grand opening took place on March 19, 1932. Before construction, more than 800 houses nearby had to be demolished, without compensation - this fact had a great resonance among city residents.
A little history
The construction of the Harbor Bridge was planned in the mid-19th century. Over the next five decades, 24 bridge projects and one tunnel project were proposed. However, all of them were not confirmed during detailed study in 1904. John Bradfield from Australia, an engineer with the Office of Public Works, took on the solution to this problem.
The project of Sir Ralph Freeman, an engineer at Dorman Long of London, was a winner. And construction under the leadership of Bradfield began already in 1926, and ended six years later. Due to its resemblance to a large coat hanger, the bridge is also called "coat hanger" or "Coat Hanger".
The complexity of the Harbor Bridge design
It took a lot of time to put all the drawings in order, because any change in the design required recalculations of the entire structure. The calculations took up several thousand pages in 28 volumes.
From a technical and organizational point of view, the construction of the bridge turned out to be a difficult task. It was decided to use a cantilever technique, moving from the supports towards the center so as not to disrupt the functioning of the port. At the same time, there was a need to use technological supports for some time. The bridge's strength was tested in February 1932 using 96 steam locomotives.
The bridge was opened that same year. By the time construction was completed, it cost $20 million, while the original cost was supposed to be $4.2 million. It took 55 years to pay off the debt.
Purpose of the bridge
The bridge crosses the width of the river mouth into the harbor, allowing a variety of ships, including large ocean liners, to pass through. This bridge symbolized hope, like the Statue of Liberty, for tourists arriving in the city, immigrants, and all those who have found refuge in Australia.
Interesting facts about the Harbor Bridge in numbers
- More than 6 million rivets connect the bridge structure;
- 272,000 liters of paint were required to paint the structure;
- 200,000 vehicles pass the Harbor Bridge on an average day;
- 53,800 tons - the total weight of the structure, of which the “Hanger” steel arch alone weighs 39,000 tons;
- 1149 m is the total length of the bridge and 503 meters is the span of the arch;
- 134 m is the highest point of the bridge above sea level, and the lowest is 48 m (which allows any ships to pass under it);
- 100 m - the height of the towers that support the bridge;
- 44.8 m is the width of the Harbor Bridge, it is the widest arched steel bridge in the world;
- 18 cm - this figure was recorded on hot days, when the height of the arch increased due to the fact that the metal heated and expanded;
- It took 8 years to build the bridge, on which 1,400 people worked.
Useful information
Harbor Bridge GPS coordinates: -33.852306,151.210787.
There is a toll to cross the bridge - 3,50$.
Near the Harbor Bridge is another recognizable Sydney landmark that is worth a visit - the Opera House. It has very recognizable shapes, reminiscent of giant sails.
Harbor Bridge on a map of Sydney
Sydney Harbor Bridge is the largest steel arch bridge in the world. Its grand opening took place on March 19, 1932. Before construction, more than 800 houses nearby had to be demolished, without compensation - this fact had a great resonance among city residents.
A little history
The construction of the Harbor Bridge was planned in the mid-19th century. Next Friday..." />
The Sydney Bridge, located in Port Jackson Bay, is perhaps second only in recognition. Most of those “postcard” views of the Sydney Opera House were taken from the Harbor Bridge.
This is a truly cyclopean structure, one of the largest arched bridges in the world. Perhaps, it will remain on this list forever, because when building bridges with large spans, other structures are now chosen, less expensive and lighter than arched ones.
Residents of Melbourne, Sydney's eternal rival, jokingly call the bridge the "hanger". The dimensions of the “hanger” are impressive: length 1149 meters, weight almost 53 tons. There are 49 meters between the bridge deck and the water surface, which allows any, even the largest ships, to enter the port of Sydney.
The Harbor Bridge connects two areas of Sydney. Actually, the growth of any metropolis at some point is blocked by water. It blocks, but does not stop, thanks to such structures.
The design of the Harbor Bridge perfectly combines beauty and functionality. Its central part is given over to cars and trains, and on the sides of the roadway you can walk or ride a bicycle.
The pedestrian path is fenced with high bars. This was done not only to make the walk safer, but also to create obstacles for suicides and other reckless citizens who choose bridges for their purposes with enviable consistency all over the world.
The bridge span is supported on the banks by four hundred-meter towers lined with granite. The design of the bridge, despite the abundance of steel beams and other massive elements, does not evoke a feeling of heaviness.
History of creation
Before construction began, for fifty years the city considered various options to connect the two areas: Wilson Point and Davis Point. More than twenty different bridge designs were proposed, and even a tunnel was proposed. In the end, it was decided to hold an international competition, in which the project of British engineer Ralph Freeman won.
Construction of the bridge began in 1926 and lasted 6 years. A prerequisite was the uninterrupted operation of the Sydney port, so it was decided to build the bridge arch, moving from the support towers to the center.
After completion of construction, a strength test was carried out, for which 96 steam locomotives were simultaneously driven onto the bridge. The test was successful, and on March 19, 1932, the Harbor Bridge was inaugurated.
At the opening of the bridge, an incident occurred: the head of the honor guard, either from feelings overwhelming his heart, or for some other, less exalted reason, cut the red ribbon with his saber ahead of time. The ribbon had to be tied and cut again, according to the approved plan.
Harbor Bridge today
From its opening to the present day, Australia's largest bridge has served several purposes.
Firstly, as intended, it is a connection between Sydney districts. More than 200 thousand cars cross the bridge every day. Every car owner is required to pay to travel across the bridge, and this is fair, because the construction and maintenance of such structures is not cheap.
Secondly, the Harbor Bridge is the calling card of Sydney, along with the Sydney Opera House. If you consider that there are few man-made attractions in Australia, it will be clear why the bridge is so popular among tourists.
Daniil Granin in his book “The Upside Down Month” describes with great irony the attitude of Sydney residents towards this landmark. However, paying tribute to the grandeur of the structure, he very figuratively calls it a “deep sigh” over the bay.
It is really difficult for residents of the “old world” to understand why a bridge, although not quite ordinary, but still just a bridge, causes such delight among local residents. But for a country that Europeans saw for the first time just three hundred years ago, every creation of human hands has a special meaning.
Events
Since 1999 On New Year's Eve, a large-scale pyrotechnic show is staged on the bridge, which attracts many Sydney residents, tourists, as well as more than a billion television viewers around the world.
In order to replenish the budget for bridge maintenance, city authorities came up with an original move. Anyone over ten years old can make the so-called “climbing the Harbor Bridge” for a fee.
The entire excursion is conducted under the watchful eye of an instructor, wearing special clothing, shoes and safety equipment. Tourists should be prepared to pay for 12 photographs, as everything that may fall out of their hands, including cameras and phones, must be left in storage before the climb. The reward for those who dare to go to the bridge arch will be magnificent views of the city and the bay.
How to get there
The Harbor Bridge is located in the heart of Sydney, next to the Sydney Opera House and the harbour. All excursion routes go through it and you won’t be able to miss this attraction. The bridge is flanked on either side by Warringah and Western Distributor streets.
The bridge is open to traffic 24 hours a day and all year round.
Location on the map
While taking a walk, you can see a commemorative plaque on one of the support towers. It lists the names of sixteen workers who died during the construction of the bridge.
Many buildings were demolished before the bridge was built. Residents were evicted from their homes without any compensation. This caused a storm of indignation and almost led to clashes with the police. But the authorities quickly came to their senses and resolved the problem peacefully.
The Harbor Bridge has become a landmark of Australia for almost a hundred years. Every year the government spends a lot of money on its maintenance and repairs. Every New Year it becomes the center of festive events. It would not be an exaggeration to say that such care and attention are truly worthy of respect.
The Harbor Bridge in Australia is one of the five most visited attractions in Australia. This bridge is the largest on the continent. It was put into operation in 1932 and was built with the aim of uniting the business part of the city and the center. The bridge is divided into 8 vehicle lanes, 2 railway tracks and one bicycle path.
The Harbor Bridge took 6 years to build and spent $20 million on construction. Its width is 49 meters and its length is 1149 meters. The entire structure weighs 53 thousand tons in total.
Where is Harbor Bridge
The Harbor Bridge (Sydney) is located in the heart of the capital, connecting the two parts of the city. Its coordinates on the map are 33.852258, 151.210769.
How to get there
Sydney Harbor Bridge located in the very center of the city. Not far from it are the Sydney Opera House and the port. All city tours are conducted with a stop at “Sydney Bridge”, so it will be simply impossible to miss it. If you are planning to take a taxi, then tell the driver the address of Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney NSW, and they will take you to the attraction. You can also reach the bridge by train.
History of creation
Before construction began, local authorities considered various options for 50 years. In the end a competition for the best project was announced, where 20 works were presented. Among all, we chose the most worthy option and began to bring it to life. John Bradfield's idea was considered the best. It was he who took on the duties of chief engineer.
Construction
Construction of the largest bridge in Australia began in 1926, and its official opening took place in 1932. Thoughts on the need to connect two parts of the city arose back in 1888. It was then that a commission was created that considered proposals from architects for the construction of the bridge.
Having seen the Harbor Bridge, photos of the construction of which are amazing, we can conclude that implementing the project in those days was quite difficult, especially since maintaining the functioning of the port was an important task. It was necessary to use a lot of special equipment and a large number of workers. The bridge frame is a metal lattice with an arch on which the railway tunnel is located. The arched span is 503 meters. The weight of the arch is 39,000 tons, and the entire bridge weighs more than 50,000 tons.
Do you know? In hot summer weather, due to the ability of metal to expand when exposed to high temperatures, the height of the structure can increase to 18 cm.
Architectural style
The Harbor Bridge has a modern design. The huge arched structure was popularly called a “hanger”. The bridge stands on four 100-meter concrete pillars, and the arch is made entirely of metal.
By looking at the pages of Wikipedia, you can find many interesting facts about the Sydney Bridge.
- The Harbor Bridge holds the title of the longest bridge in the world;
- The height of the arch of the structure is 134 meters;
- To build this bridge, authorities demolished about 1,000 buildings;
- 1,500 people took part in the construction of the bridge;
- The New Year's fireworks display on the Sydney Bridge is always one of the top three pyrotechnic shows in the world;
- Maintenance of the bridge costs $2 million annually.
This is interesting. The Australian population calls the Harbor Bridge “the hanger”. This name comes from the shape of the bridge itself and its design.
Opening hours
You can see the bridge at any time of the day, but it is most beautiful here at dawn. Travel along it and excursions are paid.
Ticket prices
To cross the bridge by private vehicle, you will have to pay $2. If you want to go up to the observation deck and enjoy a magnificent view of the city, you will have to pay 198 dollars at night, 235 during the day, and 308 at dawn. Although this is not a cheap pleasure, it is worth it. From a bird's eye view you get very beautiful photos.
What to see nearby
- The Sydney Opera House is a symbol of Australia. This is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world. Its construction took 16 years and the budget was more than $102 million.
- The Sydney Observatory is the oldest observatory on the continent (160 years old). It was previously used for stargazing, navigation and meteorology. Nowadays there is a museum in the building. Entry is free, but if you want to watch a movie or look through a telescope, you will have to pay.
If you love to travel, then you should definitely visit the most popular attractions in Australia. The Harbor Bridge cannot go unnoticed, as it is located in the very center of the capital and bears the title of the largest arch bridge in the world.
What do you think? Is it worth traveling to Sydney to see one of the most beautiful bridges in the world?
