“Ever wondered how Melbourne blends art and infrastructure?” Here we are at the Mary Michelon Bridge a testament to the city’s innovative spirit. This bridge isn’t just a way to cross from one point to another. It’s a statement. It embodies Melbourne’s commitment to design.
Melbourne boasts a rich history of bridge building. The city’s first bridge was a simple timber culvert built in 1842. It sat at the bottom of William Street. It crossed one of the small creeks flowing into the Yarra River. In 1845, the Melbourne Bridge Co. built a crude timber toll bridge. It was just downstream of the present Princes Bridge.
David Lennox, superintendent of bridges, built the first permanent bridge over the Yarra. It opened in 1850. This graceful stone structure had a single low arch. It spanned 45.7 meters. At the time, it was the longest stone arch in Australia.
Melbourne continued to innovate. The first railway bridge was a timber trestle structure near the Yarra Falls. It was built for the Hobsons Bay Railway in 1854. The government railway to Williamstown crossed the Maribyrnong River. It had a grand iron bridge with a 61-meter span.
The 1880s saw a boom in bridge building. This was due to railway expansion and efforts to widen the lower Yarra. In 1888, Lennox’s stone bridge was replaced. The new ornate iron arch bridge was designed by Charles D’Ebro and John Grainger.
Queens Bridge and the Sandridge Rail Bridge followed soon after. The Sandridge Rail Bridge was an early example of steel plate use. The Morell Bridge arrived in 1899. Monash & Anderson built it using reinforced concrete. It was Victoria’s first major reinforced concrete structure.
By the 1920s, motor vehicles put pressure on Melbourne’s bridges. Many new bridges were proposed. Political issues arose over funding. A temporary wooden bridge was built alongside the damaged Hawthorn Bridge.
The Church Street Bridge was rebuilt in reinforced concrete in 1923. The Spencer Street Bridge used an innovative cantilever design in 1929-30. MacPherson Robertson funded the MacRobertson Bridge in 1934. It was a gift to Victoria.
The Country Roads Act of 1933 allowed the CRB to fund metropolitan bridges. Lynch’s Bridge and the Hoddle Bridge were early projects. Lynch’s Bridge used welded steel girders and a concrete deck. The Hoddle Bridge had a single-piece concrete superstructure.
World War II stopped major bridge construction. Work resumed in 1946. The Swan Street Bridge took five years to complete. The King Street Bridge was the state’s longest road bridge. It extended 756 meters. It used high-tensile steel.
Freeways dominated bridge construction by the late 1960s. The West Gate Bridge became Melbourne’s landmark bridge. It rose 58 meters above the river. The Bolte Bridge became the city’s longest bridge by 1998.
So, as you stand on the Mary Michelon Bridge remember you’re walking on a story of innovation. It is a story of Melbourne’s ongoing quest to connect its people. It is all done with style and engineering excellence.