Mandurah Traffic Bridge

Physical Description

Constructed from jarrah, cement and steel, the bridge is 184m long and 6.7m wide. The concrete piles used in construction are each 18.3m long and weigh 10.1 tonnes. Two laneways (north and southbound) for traffic and a 2m footway for pedestrians and cyclists. Steps lead down from the footway to give access to popular fishing platforms. The bridge was constructed with a vertical curve so clearance from the waterline to the span girders allowed for marine traffic.

History

In August 1952, a proposal to build a new bridge across the Murray Estuary was confirmed, which was fortunate since part of the original 1894 bridge had by now collapsed and it could only be used by light traffic during daylight hours. The new bridge – complete with two fishing stages underneath – was constructed by the Main Roads Department and officially opened on 17 April 1953 by then Minister for Works, John Tonkin.

The bridge is characteristic of other notable bridges constructed around the same time such as Canning Bridge, the 1930 standard having been amended in 1945 when the width and load capacity were changed. A two-lane bridge with a 20 ft span that formerly had 18 ft wide decks on three piles with 20 ft spans became 22 ft wide on four piles.

Mandurah Bridge had piles made out of reinforced concrete because of the damage marine borers could do to timber, although the deck spans were made of timber. The piles for the bridge were cast on the job with shoulders to carry the fishing platform. However there were problems in driving some of the piles, so when the job was finished the fishing platforms were higher at one end of the bridge than the other.

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