Victoria Bridge (Penrith)

Victoria Bridge over Nepean River
Victoria Bridge in Penrith over the Nepean River
Coordinates	33°44′46″S 150°40′54″E / 33.7461°S 150.6818°E / -33.7461; 150.6818Coordinates: 33°44′46″S 150°40′54″E / 33.7461°S 150.6818°E / -33.7461; 150.6818
Carries	Main Western railway (1867–1907) Great Western Highway (1867–present)
Crosses	Nepean River
Locale	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Official name	The Nepean Bridge
Other name(s)	Victoria Bridge - On State Highway No. 5 - RTA Bridge No. 333;
Owner	Roads and Maritime Services
Heritage status	NSW State Heritage Register
Characteristics
Material	Wrought iron box girder; Steel girders with reinforced concrete decks
Total length	250 metres (820 ft)
No. of spans	5
History
Designer	John Whitton
Engineering design by	Peto Brassey and Betts (superstructure); William Watkins (piers)
Construction start	1864
Construction end	1867
Construction cost	£110,000
References

The Victoria Bridge over Nepean River, officially known as The Nepean Bridge, is a wrought iron box plate girder bridge that crosses the Nepean River at Penrith in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales Australia. Completed in 1867 under the supervision of John Whitton, the Engineer–in–Chief of New South Wales Government Railways, the bridge initially carried rail and horse–drawn traffic, and was converted in 1907 to exclusively carry the Great Western Highway. The bridge is managed by Roads and Maritime Services and is listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.

The bridge is the oldest surviving crossing of the Hawkesbury–Nepean River. As at 2009, Roads and Maritime Services estimated that Victoria Bridge carried an average daily traffic of 25,000 vehicles per day.

Prior to the construction of the Victoria Bridge, a punt service was located at the site of the bridge. Following the discovery of Gold in the west of the Great Dividing Range demand for a permanent river crossing increased. A timber bridge was constructed with private funds, charging a toll for its use. Opened in January 1856, the bridge was destroyed by floods in 1857, and again rebuilt. Surviving the February 1860 flood, it was again destroyed in May 1860.

Designed by Engineer–in–Chief of Railways, John Whitton, construction began in 1864 and was completed in 1867. Just months before completion, another major flood event occurred rising high enough to wash away the new bridges approach works.

Originally it took one railway line and a road across the river, however in 1907 another bridge was constructed a few metres to the north which thenceforth took two railway lines across the river, and the original bridge reverted to road and pedestrian use only.