Curious about the Broadway Over-Rail-Bridge? It is more than just a way to cross the tracks. It is a testament to Auckland’s evolving transport history.
The Broadway Over-Rail-Bridge stands above the Newmarket railway junction. A major development is planned for this area. Construction is expected to start soon. The development should be completed by 2015. It will include retail space, offices, apartments, and a hotel. These will all be centered around a pedestrian plaza.
The Broadway Over-Rail-Bridge area will provide a new connection to the Newmarket train station. This will make the station easily accessible from more of Newmarket.
A hundred years ago, Auckland considered an underground rail system. In 1923, a rail line from the CBD to Morningside was proposed. It was called the Morningside Deviation. The line would run under the central business district. It would include a station near the Auckland Town Hall. It was estimated to cost £400,000. The proposal was rejected in 1930.
In the 1940s, the Ministry of Works refined the Morningside proposal. They discussed electrification and an underground inner-city loop. Wellington’s rail was electrified. Auckland’s was not.
In 1949, the government promised electrification. They hired consultants to report on Auckland suburban rail. The Halcrow-Thomas report proposed electrification. It also suggested restricting road building.
In 1954, these plans halted. Auckland City Council canceled the plans. The government urged them to do so.
In 1955, Auckland City Council embraced motorways. A Master Transportation Plan decided between rail and motorways. The plan recommended more motorway construction. This was at the expense of rail.
The Parnell railway bridge was built between 1865 and 1866. It was part of the Auckland to Drury Railway Project. The project aimed to provide access to coalfields. It would also supply the military during the Waikato Land Wars. The bridge was the first part of a link between Mechanics Bay and Newmarket.
Time and cost overruns led to the project’s abandonment in 1866. It was then known as the bridge to nowhere.
The Broadway Over-Rail-Bridge had a bowstring truss bridge. It also featured a viaduct over Parnell Rise. These structures were supported by basalt piers. The piers were built in a monumental style. Basalt was an unusual material for early railway bridges.
In the 1870s, Prime Minister Sir Julius Vogel reclaimed the bridge. It became the first part of Vogel’s railways to operate. Modifications occurred in the 1890s. Some masonry piers were raised. From 1908 to 1909, the superstructure was replaced. It was replaced with a 39m span double-intersection Warren truss. Two piers were removed. The remaining piers were widened for double track rail. Construction matched the original style.
The main trunk railway between Auckland and Wellington opened in 1909.
The original rail gauge was 1435mm wide for a single track. It was later replaced with the narrower 1067mm gauge.
The Parnell Railway Bridge was part of the main trunk link. This continued until the Orakei to Westfield deviation in 1930. It has remained in use for suburban trains since then. In 1974, overhead ties were added to the truss. Advertising hoardings now conceal the aesthetic value.
So, next time you cross the Broadway Over-Rail-Bridge, remember its complex past. It is a symbol of Auckland’s ongoing development.