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| Mooney Mooney
Bridge |
 |
| Mooney Mooney
Bridge |
| Official name |
Mooney Mooney Creek Bridge |
| Carries |
Road Traffic |
| Crosses |
Mooney Mooney Creek |
| Locale |
Central
Coast |
| Maintained by |
RTA |
| Design |
Cantilever bridge |
| Total length |
480 m (1,575 ft) |
| Width |
27 m (89 ft) |
| Height |
75 m (246 ft) |
| Longest span |
220 m (722 ft) |
| Opened |
December 1988 |
Mooney Mooney Creek Bridge is a twin cantilever
bridge that spans Mooney Mooney
Creek in Brisbane Water National
Park on the Central
Coast of New
South Wales as part of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway. It is the highest
road bridge in Australia
as measured from the road bed to the water 75 m (246 ft) below.[1]
It was opened in December 1988 and is maintained by the Roads and Traffic Authority of
New South Wales.[2]
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is the main road link between Sydney and the Central Coast, Newcastle, New South Wales
and Hunter Valley. The only other road that
links these regions is the Pacific Highway which from
Cowan to Kariong follows a scenic
winding route.[3]
Design
Mooney Mooney Bridge was built by Enpro Constructions out of prestressed concrete. It has three
spans. The span at the western end of the bridge is 135 metres
long, the main span is 220 m (722 ft) long and the eastern span is
131 m (430 ft) long.[2]
The design has been said to demonstrate how good engineering design and
good aesthetics are
synonymous, and has been used as a standard in the design of
bridges throughout New South Wales. They employ a two rail parapet which optimises views
of the landscape. The bridges were designed with the natural
surroundings in mind and form a simple uncluttered shape so not to
detract from the natural bushland of the National Park. The three
span haunched girders on the
bridge were critical to this as were the multiple piers that provide character and strength.[4]
The bridge is the second crossing of the creek in the area, with
the original two lane truss bridge that still services Pacific
Highway traffic not far downstream of the modern bridge.
Incidents
The Mooney Mooney Bridge has been the site of several accidents, resulting in the
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway being closed to traffic and causing delays. Some of these
accidents have prompted debate on whether a new road should be
built to supplement the existing freeway.[5]
On 23 October 2004 a semi-trailer's brakes failed coming down the Freeway and caused
a pile-up involving 35 vehicles that had slowed down as a result of
a car accident on the other side of the bridge. This accident
resulted in the death of a woman.[6]
On 12 February 2007 another accident occurred when a truck was
travelling down the freeway and lost control approaching the
bridge, smashing through a guard rail and plunging 30 metres down
an embankment at the side of the
bridge.[7]
The Mooney Mooney Bridge, because of its height, has been
susceptible in the past to people committing suicide. As a result, a fence was erected along
the side of the bridge to prevent people jumping off. This fence was
erected in 2003 and cost AU$1,000,000.[8]
References
External
links
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