The Harwood Bridge is a two-lane steel
truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
which carried the
Pacific Highway over the
Clarence River in the
Northern Rivers
Northern Rivers is the most north-easterly region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located between north of the state capital, Sydney, and encompasses the catchments and fertile valleys of the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed rivers. ...
region of
New South Wales
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, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
,
Australia from 1966 until 2019, when it was replaced by a four-lane concrete bridge, located to its east. The Harwood Bridge has been retained to provide access to Harwood Island.
Description
The Harwood Bridge crosses the main channel of the
Clarence River, about upstream from the river mouth, and by road from
Grafton. It is located from the town of
Maclean
MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John). The clan surname is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Gille Eathai ...
at the village of Harwood. It carried the Pacific Highway from the south bank of the Clarence River onto Harwood Island,
from where the highway crosses the Serpentine Channel onto Chatsworth Island then finally crosses the North Channel of the Clarence River via the Mororo Bridge (also a steel truss bridge) to the northern bank.
The Harwood Bridge was completed in August 1966, and replaced the last ferry crossing on the state highway system of New South Wales. Prior to the opening of the bridge, the river crossing was provided by three cable-guided ferries operating in parallel.
The bridge has a total length of , consisting of seven steel truss spans of length and twenty-seven steel girder approach spans. The deck carries two lanes of traffic and a footway. One of the steel truss spans is a
vertical-lift span, which allows vessels to navigate the Clarence River.
However, this now occurs infrequently.
The Harwood Bridge formed part of a bypass of the town of Maclean and the village of Harwood. It is the longest, and last, in a series of steel truss bridges of a standard design built by the
Department of Main Roads during the 1950s and 1960s, chiefly across the wide coastal rivers of New South Wales, and mostly on the Pacific Highway.
Bridges of the same design were built on the Pacific Highway across the
Hunter River Hunter River may refer to:
*Hunter River (New South Wales), Australia
*Hunter River (Western Australia)
*Hunter River, New Zealand
*Hunter River (Prince Edward Island), Canada
**Hunter River, Prince Edward Island, community on Hunter River, Canada
...
at
Hexham (1952), the South Channel of the Hunter River at
Mayfield (1965, demolished 2009), the
Karuah River
Karuah River, an open semi-mature tide dominated drowned valley estuary is located in the Mid North Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Karuah River rises on the southeastern slopes of Gloucester Tops ...
at
Karuah (1957), the Wollamba River as part of the
Nabiac bypass (1958, demolished 2004), the
Hastings River
Hastings River (Birpai: ''Doongang''), an open and trained intermediate wave dominated barrier estuary, is located in the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Hastings River rise ...
as part of the
Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie is a coastal town in the local government area of Port Macquarie-Hastings. It is located on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The town is located on the Tasman Sea c ...
bypass (1961), and the
Macleay River
The Macleay River is a river that spans the Northern Tablelands and Mid North Coast districts of New South Wales, Australia.
Course and features
Formed by the confluence of the Gara River, Salisbury Waters and Bakers Creek, the Macleay River r ...
at
Kempsey (1959).
Replacement bridge
The Pacific Highway was upgraded between Grafton and
Ballina. Work included a replacement four-lane concrete bridge, located to the east of the Harwood Bridge, spanning the Clarence River and its adjacent floodplain. The new bridge was constructed between 2016 and December 2019,
and the existing bridge has been retained to provide access to Harwood Island.
A
grade-separated pedestrian footpath and
cycleway
Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except wher ...
has been retained on the Harwood Bridge.
See also
*
List of bridges in Australia
Historical bridges
This table contains a non-exhaustive list of bridges listed on the various heritage registers of Australia.
Bridges of architectural interest
This table contains a non-exhaustive list of bridges of architectural interest ...
References
External links
{{Road infrastructure in regional New South Wales
Bridges completed in 1966
Road bridges in New South Wales
Pacific Highway (Australia)
1966 establishments in Australia
Steel bridges in Australia
Truss bridges in Australia
Vertical lift bridges in Australia