The Sydney Harbour Bridge

by Paul Ritchie Ingersole

C.E.O Paul Ritchie Advertising

The iconic coathanger as the locals call it provides a crossing for one of the worlds truely great harbours.

The bridge provides a link between Sydneys central business district [C.B.D] and the North Shore of the city of Sydney.

Along with Sydneys equally famous opera house the Sydney Harbour bridge sits on the magnificant waterway called Sydney Harbour.

On March 18th 2007 the bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary and almost 300,000 people turned up for the party.The bridge carries cars, pedestrians and rail across one of the most scenic vistas anywhere in the world and provides a crucial link between the Two main business districts in Sydney.

According too the guiness book of records Sydney Harbour Bridge is the widest long span bridge in the world and also the largest steel arch bridge anywhere in the world.

The height of the bridge is 134 metres above mean sea level .The bridge starts on the city side in one of Sydneys oldest areas which is called the Rocks, an area of Sydney famous for its pubs and loved by the backpackers that tend to make The Rocks a base when staying in Sydney.

The bridge crosses to a place called Milsons point which is at North Sydney and the base for a number of major corporations and a train station.

Some facts about the Sydney Harbour Bridge

*the bridge is 48.8 metres wide[151.3 feet]

*the arch span is 503m[1,650 feet]

*the weight of the steel arch is 39,000 tonnes

*the total weight of the bridge is 52,800 tonnes

*the total number of hand driven rivets exceeds Six million

*the pairs of pylons at each end of the bridge are 89m [276 feet] high and are made of granite and concrete.

The pylons actually serve no structural purpose and are simply to balance the bridge in a visual sense.Although originally put in place for aesethetic reasons all Four pylons have been put to use in recent years.

A museum and a tourist centre is housed in the South Eastern pylon.The NewSouthWales roads and traffic authority use the South Western pylon as a base for cameras to overlook the bridge and the roads in the surrounding area.

The Two pylons on the Northern side of the bridge are used as chimney vents for the Sydney Harbour Tunnell that runs beneath the bridge.

Some Construction facts                                                  

*construction first started in 1923

*A man called John Bradfield was the chief engineer of the bridge project.

*the demolition of 800 homes on either side of the structure was needed.

*the bridge was formally opened in 1932 on March the 19th.