Ryde Bridge: Difference between revisions

| owner = [[Roads & Maritime Services]]▼

{{quotation|''Ryde Bridge has rarity value at a State level and historical significance locally. Ryde Bridge spans the Parramatta River between Church Street in Ryde (Uhrs Point) and Concord Road in Rhodes, replacing an earlier ferry service between these two points established in the late nineteenth century. It is rare at a state level because it is the only lift span bridge on Sydney Harbour and its tributaries (although the mechanism to operate the vertical lift span has been removed). Ryde Bridge, constructed in 1935, is also a relatively rare example of a steel truss bridge with a lift span in NSW. By the early 1950s, the bascule span was the preferred option for bridges with opening spans, meaning that vertical lift span bridges such as Ryde Bridge were no longer being designed and built. Ryde Bridge has local historical significance because it is located at an important crossing over the Parramatta River, between Ryde and Rhodes, which was one of the narrowest points on the river. Ryde Council initiated the construction of the bridge in order to open up the municipality for suburban development. Thereafter, Ryde Bridge has provided an important transportation route for outer suburbs in the municipalities of Ryde and Hornsby to access Sydney by car.''|Statement of significance, Heritage and conservation register, [[Roads & Maritime Services]], 15 August 2005.<ref name=rmsheritage/>}}▼

The original Ryde Bridge was opened on 7 December 1935 by the [[Premier of New South Wales|Premier]] [[Bertram Stevens (politician)|Bertram Stevens]], accompanied by the Mayor of [[City of Ryde|Ryde]].<ref name=rydebopen/> The original bridge is a [[lift bridge]], which was required to allow shipping to pass to the State Timber Yard then located on the southern bank of the Parramatta River, just west of the bridge. However the lifting mechanism was removed in the late 20th century and it has not been opened since. The bridge was paid for by the Ryde Council with the assistance of a grant from the [[Government of New South Wales|New South Wales Government]]. The bridge carried a toll for 13 years until the bridge was paid for. Ownership was transferred to the [[Department of Main Roads (New South Wales)|Department of Main Roads]].<ref name=rmsheritage>{{cite web|title=Ryde Bridge over Parramatta River|work=Heritage and conservation register, [[Roads & Maritime Services]]|publisher=[[Government of New South Wales]]|date=2004|accessdate=14 January 2015|url=http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301054}}</ref>▼

A new bridge was built on the eastern or downstream side using steel trough girders, closed on top by a composite concrete running deck, and completed in 1987. The second bridge carries southbound traffic, with the original bridge carrying northbound traffic only.<ref name=ashet/> It was officially opened on 25 November 1988 by Premier [[Nick Greiner]] and Federal Minister For Transport [[Ralph Willis]].▼