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Murrumbidgee River railway bridge, Wagga Wagga
Original bridge in May 2006
Coordinates	35°06′57″S 147°22′58″E / 35.115703°S 147.382822°E / -35.115703; 147.382822
Carries	Main Southern railway line
Crosses	Murrumbidgee River
Locale	Wagga Wagga, Riverina, New South Wales, Australia
Owner	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Characteristics
Design	Lattice truss
Total length	3,078 metres (10,100 ft)
Longest span	4 x 46 metres (150 ft)
Rail characteristics
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
History
Constructed by	Messrs. R. & A. Amos
Fabrication by	P. & W. McClellan & Co, Scotland
Construction start	1871
Construction end	December 1880
Opened	16 January 1881
Closed	30 December 2006
Location

The Murrumbidgee River railway bridge is a former railway bridge that carried the Main Southern railway line across the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, Australia. The original bridge, erected in 1881, was replaced in 2006.

Original bridge

The original four span wrought iron lattice truss bridge opened on 16 January 1881. It was the second oldest bridge out of the twelve related wrought iron lattice truss series bridges built in Australia. Each of the four lattice truss spans were 46 metres (150 ft) long which joined onto what was thought to be the longest timber viaduct in Australia. The bridge was considered as of major importance to the history of bridge engineering in Australia.

The spans were manufactured by P. & W. McClellan & Co., Glasgow weighing a combined 790 tonnes (870 short tons). The northern approach was originally built with 215 timber trestles. These were replaced with steel trestles over a four-year period from 1897. The trestles were strengthened in 1994 as part of the One Nation project. By 2000 a 20 km/h (12 mph) speed restriction over the bridge had been imposed.

Replacement bridge

The bridge was removed and replaced with a new concrete bridge during a four-day shut down from 30 December 2006. The wrought iron lattice railway bridge was cut away using oxy cutters. One cut section of the bridge was donated to railway preservation group Tumbarail at Ladysmith. The rest of the bridge was taken to Port Kembla for disposal. The new bridge allowed an 80 km/h (50 mph) speed limit to be introduced.

Engineering heritage award

The bridge received a Historic Engineering Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.

See also

• List of railway bridges in New South Wales

References

1. "The reconstruction of the Wagga viaduct". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin (591). Australian Railway Historical Society: 3–15. January 1987.
2. ^ "Murrumbidgee River Rail Bridge, Wagga Wagga, NSW (Place ID 15910)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. Retrieved 30 January 2007.
3. Iron Lattice Girder Railway Bridges National Trust of Australia
4. Railway Lattice Bridge and Viaducts Institution of Engineers
5. "Iron Lattice Girder Railway Bridges" (PDF). Endangered Places. National Trust of Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2007.
6. "Wagga Wagga" (PDF). Railway Lattice Bridge and Viaducts. Institution of Engineers. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2007.
7. "Railway Communication". The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser. Vol. LXIV, no. 1939. New South Wales, Australia. 4 September 1897. p. 497 – via National Library of Australia.
8. ^ "Wagga Wagga Bridge" Railway Digest March 2007 pages 23-25
9. "Here & There". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin (778). Australian Railway Historical Society: 18. August 2002.
10. ARTC New Wagga Rail Bridge Opens for Business Australian Rail Track Corporation 2 January 2007
11. New $16m bridge for Wagga The Daily Advertiser 30 December 2006
12. "Intelligence" Railway Gazette International March 2007 page 130
13. "Wagga Wagga Railway Lattice Bridge and Viaducts, Murrumbidgee River, 1880-". Engineers Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2020.

External links

Media related to Murrumbidgee River Railway Bridge (1881) at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Railway bridges in Australia
New South Wales former	Albury–Wodonga Bargo Belmore Beverly Hills Bowenfels Burwood Canterbury Como Cougal Spiral Cowra Dubbo Dunmore Emu Plains Glebe and Wentworth Park Goulburn Grafton Gundagai Hawkesbury River John Whitton Kempsey Lismore Lithgow Coal Stage Signal Box Lithgow Underbridge Lewisham Marrangaroo Menangle Moss Vale Narrandera Orange Penrith Picton Queanbeyan Redfern Rydal Sandgate Flyover Springwood Stanwell Park Strathfield Sydney Harbour Tahmoor Tamworth Taree Tocumwal Wagga Wagga Wallerawang Wambool Woolbrook Bathurst Bredbo Colinton Como Dundee Emu Plains Gulgong Knapsack Viaduct Lithgow Zig Zag Manilla Old Como Railway Square Sunnyside Ultimo Yarraford Yass
Northern Territory	Elizabeth River
Queensland	Albert Alexandra Angellala Bremer River Burdekin Burdekin River Deep Creek Dickabram Etheridge Harlin Humphery Ideraway Creek Imbil Indooroopilly Lockyer Maroochy River Merivale Murphys Creek Quart Pot Creek Sadliers Crossing Saltwater Creek Splitters Creek Steep Rocky Creek Swansons Woolooga
South Australia former	Goodwood Overpass Mary MacKillop Murray Bridge Rail Brige Seaford Rail Viaduct Algebuckina
Tasmania	Bridgewater Longford
Victoria former	Albion Viaduct Avon River Bridge Breakwater Bridge Bunbury St Railway Bridge Cowies Creek (No. 1) Cremorne Eltham Railway Trestle Bridge Hawthorn Heyington Kensington Railway Bridge Lal Lal Creek Viaduct Malmsbury Viaduct Melton Viaduct Millbrook Viaduct Montbulk Trestle Bridge Saltwater River Taradale Viaduct Tocumwal Fairfield Sandridge
Western Australia former	Fremantle Goongoongup Mount Henry Narrows Bunbury

v t e Riverina – New South Wales
Cities	Albury Griffith Wagga Wagga
Local government areas	Albury Balranald Berrigan Carrathool Coolamon Edward River Federation Griffith Greater Hume Cootamundra–Gundagai Hay Jerilderie Junee Leeton Lockhart Murray River Murrumbidgee Narrandera Snowy Valleys Temora Wagga Wagga
Towns / Communities	Adelong Adjungbilly Alfredtown Alma Park Ardlethan Ariah Park Ballbank Balldale Balranald Barellan Barham Barnes Barooga Batlow Beckom Bectric Beelbangera Beggan Beggan Berrigan Bethungra Bidgeemia Bilbul Binya Birrego Blighty Book Book Bookham Booligal Booroorban Borambola Boree Creek Bowna Brawlin Brocklesby Brookdale Brungle Brushwood Bulgandry Bullenbung Bundure Bungowannah Bunnaloo Buraja Burraboi Burrandana Burrinjuck Burrumbuttock Caldwell Carabost Carrathool Cavan Coleambally Collingullie Colinroobie Combaning Conargo Condoulpe Cookardinia Coolac Coolamon Cootamundra Coree Coreen Corobimilla Corowa Cowabbie Culcairn Cunninyeuk Currawarna Darbalara Darlington Point Daysdale Deniliquin Dilpurra Dirnaseer Downside Euberta Eurongilly Euston Ferndale Finley Frampton French Park Galore Ganmain Gidginbung Gerogery Gobarralong Gocup Gogeldrie Goolgowi Goorawin Grahamstown Greenvale Grong Grong Gulpa Gunbar Gundagai Hanwood Harefield Hay Henty Hillston Holbrook Hopefield Howlong Humula Illabo Illilawa Jerilderie Jindera Jingellic Jugiong Junee Junee Reefs Kamarah Khancoban Koraleigh Kyalite Kyeamba Kywong Lacmalac Ladysmith Langtree Lankeys Creek Laurel Hill Leeton Little Billabong Lockhart Logie Brae Lowesdale Mairjimmy Malebo Mangoplah Mannus Marinna Marrar Mathoura Matong Maude Mayrung Merriwagga Merungle Hill Methul Milbrulong Millwood Mirrool Mitta Mitta Moama Moira Moolpa Moombooldool Morago Morundah Morven Moulamein Mullengandra Mulwala Mundarlo Munderoo Murrami Muttama Nangus Narraburra Narrandera Niemur Nyora Oaklands Oberne Old Junee One Tree Osborne Oura Ournie Oxley Penarie Perekerten Pleasant Hills Pretty Pine Pulletop Rand Rankins Springs Rannock Rennie Rosewood Ryan Sandigo Sangar Savernake Sebastopol Speewa Springdale Stanbridge Stockinbingal Stony Crossing Stony Point Tabbita Table Top Talbingo Talmalmo Talmo Tantonan Tarcutta Temora The Rock Tocumwal Tooleybuc Tooma Tootool Tullakool Tumbarumba Tumblong Tumut Tuppal Urana Urangeline Urangeline East Uranquinty Waddi Wakool Walbundrie Walla Walla Wallendbeen Walleroobie Wamoon Wanganella Wantabadgery Warburn Warragoon Wee Jasper Welaregang Westby Whitton Widgelli Widgiewa Willbriggie Womboota Wondalga Woodend Woolgarlo Woomargama Wymah Yalgogrin South Yallakool Yanco Yenda Yerong Creek Yoogali Yuluma
National parks	Cocoparra Lachlan Valley Livingstone Murray Valley Murrumbidgee Valley Oolambeyan Woomargama Yanga
Rivers, Water and irrigation entities Other watercourses	Darling Edward Goodradigbee Lachlan Little Murray Murray Murrumbidgee Niemur Paddys Rufus Tooma Tumut Wakool Yass Murray Irrigation Area Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Murrumbidgee Irrigation Riverina Water County Council Adelong Adjungbilly Back Barmedman Bendy Berthong Billabong Black Joes Bland Bowning Broadway Brooks Bulls Head Bungendore Burkes Cohen Dairy Derringullen Gum Flat Hell Hole Little Jerra Jerra Kindra Mannus Maragle Mirrool Mulwala Canal Murrumbateman Peelwood Pugilistic Reedy Sandy (Mirrool) Spring Tarcutta Taylors Tumbarumba Yellow Bog
Landmarks	Charles Sturt University Ettamogah Pub Hume Dam Hume Power Station Hume and Hovell Track Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Wyangala Dam

• Bridges completed in 1881
• Concrete bridges in Australia
• Crossings of the Murrumbidgee River
• Lattice truss bridges
• Railway bridges in New South Wales
• Truss bridges in Australia
• Works of John Whitton
• New South Wales places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate
• History of Wagga Wagga
• Bridges in the Riverina
• Main Southern railway line, New South Wales
• 1881 establishments in Australia
• 2006 disestablishments in Australia
• Former railway bridges in Australia
• Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers