Ryde Bridge

A proposal for the construction of a bridge in lieu of a ferry over the Parramatta River, between Meadowbank and Rhodes, was first submitted to the Minister for Public Works in 1913. Owing to funds being unavailable for the purpose, no action was taken until 1920.[4] In July 1924, the Minister for Public Works announced in Parliament that he was prepared to introduce a bill to give the involved councils the power to build the bridge. A site investigation followed, and its results was transferred to the Main Roads Board in July 1928.[4]

The original Ryde Bridge was opened on 7 December 1935 by the Premier Bertram Stevens, accompanied by the Mayor of Ryde.[2] The original bridge is a lift bridge, which was required to allow shipping to pass to the State Timber Yard then located on the southern bank of the Parramatta River, just west of the bridge. However the lifting mechanism was removed in the late 20th century and it has not been opened since. The bridge was paid for by the Ryde Council with the assistance of a grant from the New South Wales Government. The bridge carried a toll for 13 years until the bridge was paid for. In 1948, ownership of the bridge was transferred to the NSW Department of Main Roads.[1]

A new bridge was built on the eastern or downstream side using steel trough girders, closed on top by a composite concrete running deck, and completed in 1987. The second bridge carries southbound traffic, with the original bridge carrying northbound traffic only.[3] It was officially opened on 25 November 1988 by the Premier Nick Greiner and Federal Minister For Transport Ralph Willis.

Before the original bridge was constructed, the Parramatta River was crossed in this area by a vehicular punt, just downstream of the Meadowbank railway bridge. The southern ramp still exists near the southern end of the railway bridge, however the northern ramp has been covered over by Meadowbank ferry wharf.

Ryde Bridge has rarity value at a State level and historical significance locally. Ryde Bridge spans the Parramatta River between Church Street in Ryde (Uhrs Point) and Concord Road in Rhodes, replacing an earlier ferry service between these two points established in the late nineteenth century. It is rare at a state level because it is the only lift span bridge on Sydney Harbour and its tributaries (although the mechanism to operate the vertical lift span has been removed). Ryde Bridge, constructed in 1935, is also a relatively rare example of a steel truss bridge with a lift span in NSW. By the early 1950s, the bascule span was the preferred option for bridges with opening spans, meaning that vertical lift span bridges such as Ryde Bridge were no longer being designed and built. Ryde Bridge has local historical significance because it is located at an important crossing over the Parramatta River, between Ryde and Rhodes, which was one of the narrowest points on the river. Ryde Council initiated the construction of the bridge in order to open up the municipality for suburban development. Thereafter, Ryde Bridge has provided an important transportation route for outer suburbs in the municipalities of Ryde and Hornsby to access Sydney by car.

— Statement of significance, Heritage and conservation register, Roads & Maritime Services, 15 August 2005.[1]

The Hexham Bridge, located 125 kilometres (78 mi) northeast of Sydney and which spans the Hunter River is very similar to 1935 Pratt truss Ryde Bridge.[1][5]

• List of bridges in Sydney

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ryde Bridge.

• Kass, Terry (February 2006). "RTA Thematic History: A component of the RTA Heritage and Conservation Register" (PDF). NSW Roads & Maritime Services (PDF) (2nd ed.). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 January 2015.