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The Burdekin Bridge (known as the Burdekin River Bridge or Silver Link) spans the
Prior to the construction of the high-level Burdekin Bridge, there were two low-level bridges over the Burdekin River, one for road and one for rail. These bridges were frequently impassable due to flooding of the river. Remnants of the old rail bridge can be seen immediately downstream of the present bridge.
Originally, it was thought that the bridge could not be built in its present location. No trace of rock could be found on which to build the bridge foundations. In 1946, two high-ranking Government engineers visited India to inspect a number of bridges built on sand foundations. The same technique was used for the Burdekin Bridge and it is the only bridge in 
The bridge rests on 11 huge, hollow, concrete caissons sunk into the river bed. The caissons are 17 metres across the top (measured parallel to the stream) and vary in width from 5.5 to 7.6 metres. The caissons were sunk into the river bed to a depth of about 30 metres. Add to that the approximately 20 metres that the caissons rise above the bed and the result is some very massive pieces of concrete. Each weighs about 4,000 tons. The caissons were fitted with steel "cutting edges" to help them sink. The steel used in the cutting edges weighed 238 tons.
Construction of the first caisson started in 1947 after the "wet season". As each caisson rose in height, sand was removed from the centre of the caisson to make it sink into the sand bed. To get such a tremendous mass to sink gradually and evenly was difficult. To add to the difficulties, often a caisson became stuck and a diver had to be sent down to find the problem and remedy it. Another difficulty was that each caisson had to be sunk to a secure depth before the "wet season". If a caisson was not firmly anchored deep enough, a flood could have swept it away.
Because the bridge does not have rock foundations but is entirely supported by sand, it is sometimes described as a floating bridge. It is not a true floating bridge as it does not float on water.
The metal bridge spans were bolted together with high-tensile bolts instead of being riveted. At the time, no other Australian bridge had ever been constructed this way.
With all the difficulties, plus the shortage of steel after
Burdekin Bridge Discover Queensland Buildings website
{{Australian railway bridges, state=autocollapse Bridges completed in 1957 Buildings and structures in North Queensland Road bridges in Queensland Railway bridges in Queensland Road-rail bridges Steel bridges in Australia 1957 establishments in Australia Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers Burdekin River Truss bridges in Australia Home Hill, Queensland Ayr, Queensland
Burdekin River
The Burdekin River is a river in North and Far North Queensland, Australia. The river rises on the northern slopes of Boulder Mountain at Valley of Lagoons, part of the western slope of the Seaview Range, and flows into the Coral Sea at Upsta ...
between the towns of Ayr
Ayr ( ; ; , meaning "confluence of the River Àir"), is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. A former royal burgh, today it is the administrative centre of South Ayrshire Council, and the historic county town of Ayrshire. With ...
(locality of McDesme) to the north and Home Hill
Home Hill is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Home Hill had a population of 2,876 people.
At the delta of the Burdekin River, it is a sugarc ...
to the south, both in the Shire of Burdekin
The Shire of Burdekin is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia in the Dry Tropics region. The district is located between Townsville and Bowen in the delta of the Burdekin River. The shire covers an area of .
It has e ...
, Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
, Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. Located on the Bruce Highway
The Bruce Highway is a major highway in Queensland, Australia. Commencing in the state capital, Brisbane, it passes through areas close to the eastern coast on its way to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The route is part of the Australian Natio ...
which is part of Highway 1, it is an important link in the national road network. It is a road-rail bridge which provides high flood immunity link between north and south Queensland.
The Bridge was completed in 1957. Construction began 10 years earlier in 1947. At in length, it is one of the longest multi-span bridges in Australia and longer than Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
's Story Bridge
The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed steel cantilever bridge spanning the Brisbane River built to carry vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the northern and the southern suburbs of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the long ...
or New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
's Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge. It is 46 metres shorter than Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
's Harbour Bridge. It is the only bridge in Australia to be built on sand.
History
Prior to the construction of the high-level Burdekin Bridge, there were two low-level bridges over the Burdekin River, one for road and one for rail. These bridges were frequently impassable due to flooding of the river. Remnants of the old rail bridge can be seen immediately downstream of the present bridge.
Originally, it was thought that the bridge could not be built in its present location. No trace of rock could be found on which to build the bridge foundations. In 1946, two high-ranking Government engineers visited India to inspect a number of bridges built on sand foundations. The same technique was used for the Burdekin Bridge and it is the only bridge in Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
not built with a firm foothold.The bridge rests on 11 huge, hollow, concrete caissons sunk into the river bed. The caissons are 17 metres across the top (measured parallel to the stream) and vary in width from 5.5 to 7.6 metres. The caissons were sunk into the river bed to a depth of about 30 metres. Add to that the approximately 20 metres that the caissons rise above the bed and the result is some very massive pieces of concrete. Each weighs about 4,000 tons. The caissons were fitted with steel "cutting edges" to help them sink. The steel used in the cutting edges weighed 238 tons.
Construction of the first caisson started in 1947 after the "wet season". As each caisson rose in height, sand was removed from the centre of the caisson to make it sink into the sand bed. To get such a tremendous mass to sink gradually and evenly was difficult. To add to the difficulties, often a caisson became stuck and a diver had to be sent down to find the problem and remedy it. Another difficulty was that each caisson had to be sunk to a secure depth before the "wet season". If a caisson was not firmly anchored deep enough, a flood could have swept it away.
Because the bridge does not have rock foundations but is entirely supported by sand, it is sometimes described as a floating bridge. It is not a true floating bridge as it does not float on water.
The metal bridge spans were bolted together with high-tensile bolts instead of being riveted. At the time, no other Australian bridge had ever been constructed this way.
With all the difficulties, plus the shortage of steel after World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the construction took almost a decade to complete at a cost of $6 million. The bridge officially opened on 27 March 1957. Despite these setbacks, the new bridge greatly assisted in travel between Ayr, Queensland
Ayr is a rural town and suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. It is the centre of a sugarcane-growing region and the administrative centre for the Burdekin Shire Council. In the , the local ...
and Home Hill, Queensland
Home Hill is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Burdekin, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Home Hill had a population of 2,876 people.
At the delta of the Burdekin River, it is a sugarcane growing area with underground wa ...
and formed a vital link between North and South Queensland.
The Silver Link replaced the Inkerman Bridge
The Inkerman Bridge was a railway bridge over the Burdekin River between McDesme and Home Hill, both in the Shire of Burdekin
The Shire of Burdekin is a local government area located in North Queensland, Australia in the Dry Tropics regio ...
which is set just above the river bed. It was regularly covered and washed away by flood waters but it is still possible to see the remains of the old bridge when the river level is low.
Due to the special construction of the bridge, with steel beams forming a truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as Beam (structure), beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so ...
over the highway, it is regularly being closed to let pass oversize loads which take both lanes on the narrow bridge.
In October 2010, the Burdekin Bridge was recognised as a National Engineering Heritage Landmark.
A 5-year bridge maintenance and rehabilitation project had commenced in 2013. It is the first major structural rehabilitation work undertaken since the bridge construction. This maintenance and rehabilitation program is continuing in July 2022, with an expected total cost of $96.9 million.
Engineering heritage
The bridge was listed as an Engineering Heritage National Landmark byEngineers Australia
Engineers Australia (EA), known formally as the Institution of Engineers, Australia, is an Australian professional body and Non-profit organization, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineerin ...
as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.
See also
*List of road-rail bridges
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
References
Further reading
* *External links
* *Burdekin Bridge Discover Queensland Buildings website
{{Australian railway bridges, state=autocollapse Bridges completed in 1957 Buildings and structures in North Queensland Road bridges in Queensland Railway bridges in Queensland Road-rail bridges Steel bridges in Australia 1957 establishments in Australia Recipients of Engineers Australia engineering heritage markers Burdekin River Truss bridges in Australia Home Hill, Queensland Ayr, Queensland