Tharwa Bridge
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Tharwa Bridge is a four span
Allan truss 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 ...
bridge that provides a high-level crossing point across the
Murrumbidgee River The Murrumbidgee River () is a major tributary of the Murray River within the Murray–Darling basin and the second longest river in Australia. It flows through the Australian state of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, desce ...
, allowing traffic between
Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
and
Tharwa Tharwa (postcode 2620) is a township within the District of Paddys River, Australian Capital Territory, south of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. At the , Tharwa had a population of 81. The village is located on the banks of the Mur ...
village. It is the oldest surviving bridge in the
Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...
.


History

The bridge was opened on 27 March 1895, and a public holiday was declared in the region. A parade was held in Tharwa and 1500 people watched Mrs Elizabeth McKeahnie (the oldest resident of the area) open the bridge. The deck level of the bridge was based on the highest recorded flood level prior to building the bridge. A flood has not overtopped the bridge since construction. There is a mark on the concrete pier on the Western side of the river showing the flood level in 1991.


Heritage

The bridge was entered in the ACT Heritage Register in 1998, is listed by the National Trust of Australia (ACT) and was entered on the (now defunct)
Register of the National Estate The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heritag ...
by the
Australian Heritage Commission The Australian Heritage Commission (AHC), was the Australian federal government authority established in 1975 by the ''Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975'' as the first body to manage natural and cultural heritage in Australia until its de ...
in 1983. The bridge has also been awarded a Historic Engineering Marker by
Engineers Australia Engineers Australia (EA) is an Australian professional body and not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineering for the benefit of the community. Engineers Australia is Australia's recognized org ...
as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program, and is one of the most significant pieces of heritage in the Australian Capital Territory. The Tharwa Bridge and its site are historically and technically significant because of the Allan truss structure, having a form and structural integrity which have survived virtually intact. It is the archetypal example of the application of the new technology by
Percy Allan Percy Allan (12 July 1861 – 7 May 1930) was a civil engineer who designed many public works in New South Wales, including the design of 583 bridges. Early life Allan was the son of Maxwell Rennie Allan, principal Departmental secretary, Un ...
to the construction of timber road bridges in
New South Wales ) , 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 ...
during a major development phase for bridge and road construction during the last decade of the nineteenth century. Tharwa Bridge is highly valued by the local community as an integral part of the village of Tharwa. It continues to contribute in social, economic and aesthetic terms to the community. The bridge and its site have associative significance with the period of nineteenth century European settlement and development of the region.


Maintenance and closures

An engineering assessment of the bridge was undertaken in 1978 by structural engineering firm
Hardcastle & Richards Hardcastle & Richards Pty Ltd (1952 - ?) (H&R) is a consulting engineering company which was established by Roy T. Hardcastle AO and Harold Charles Richards AM in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1952. Origin Both Roy Hardcastle (who obtained h ...
, which resulted in some upgrades. However, the bridge subsequently deteriorated. The bridge was closed in April 2005 when a routine inspection identified extensive wood rotting (caused by
termite Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattode ...
s) of a number of critical, structural elements of the bridge. During July and August 2005, Tharwa Bridge was strengthened with bailey panels to provide a temporary crossing for vehicles up to five tonne. This arrangement was to have been in place until 2008. In September 2006 ACT Roads advised that the Tharwa Bridge would be closed for three months, and later announcing the bridge was to be closed for an indefinite period. Barriers were put in place to close off the bridge to road, cycle and pedestrian traffic. Traffic was diverted north to Point Hut low level crossing. In the event of that crossing being closed due to flooding, the only other high level bridge in the area is near the
Cotter Dam The Cotter Dam is a concrete gravity and rockfill embankment dam across the Cotter River, located in the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Both the dam and river are named after early settler in the area Garrett Cotter. The impounded Cot ...
. In October 2006 the ACT Government announced its decision to construct a single lane concrete bridge with a pedestrian walkway adjacent to the existing bridge. Construction was intended to begin in 2007, however this plan was abandoned in favour of a decision to restore the old bridge, with construction getting underway in April 2008. The bridge was reopened in August 2008 to light traffic less than 5 tonnes. The second phase of the project was completed in February 2010 with the foundations improved to withstand major flooding. The third and final phase of the restoration involved further closure of the bridge to public use to allow for the replacement of the timber trusses, new timber deck, and steel railings. The bridge was re-opened to the public on 24 June 2011, with work ongoing and was completed in September 2011.
Ray Wedgwood Raymond John Lloyd Wedgwood (27 May 1942 – 5 March 2020) was an Australian engineer who served as the Chief Bridge Engineer of the NSW Department of Main Roads (DMR) and the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA). He designed and supervis ...
, Chief Bridge Engineer of the NSW
Roads & Traffic Authority The Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA) was an agency of the New South Wales Government responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly managed state roads and provided fundin ...
and the NSW Department of Main Roads (DMR), with former Chief Bridge Engineer Brian Pearson, successfully advocated for the bridge to be repaired and upgraded, instead of being demolished, and provided technical advice to the
ACT Government The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The lead ...
about the heritage issues and structural refurbishment of the bridge. In July 2018 the bridge again closed for annual maintenance work for three days. The bridge closed from Wednesday 18 July until Friday 20 July 2018 between 9 am and 3.30 pm. The maintenance included tightening of the bridge’s decking and trusses. Weather conditions over the last 12 months may have caused them contraction or expansion.


See also

*
List of buildings and structures in the Australian Capital Territory This list of buildings and structures in the Australian Capital Territory includes historically and architecturally significant buildings and structures in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The recognition and legal protection of signific ...


References


External links

{{Commons category
Historic Tharwa BridgeFriends of Tharwa BridgeDepartment of Territory and Municipal Services - Tharwa Bridge
Allan truss bridges Bridges completed in 1895 Road bridges in the Australian Capital Territory Crossings of the Murrumbidgee River Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers 1895 establishments in Australia Australian Capital Territory Heritage Register Australian Capital Territory places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate Truss bridges in Australia