Bridgewater Bridge

The original Bridgewater Bridge was among the first bridges constructed in Tasmania after British settlement in 1803 to connect the Launceston – Hobart Trunk Road, linking both Tasmanian towns and providing easier access to farmlands in the interior of Tasmania.

The causeway, which commenced construction in 1829, was built by a workforce of 200 convicts using nothing but wheelbarrows, shovels and picks and muscle power, shifted 2 million tonnes (2.2 million short tons) of soil, stones and clay. The finished causeway stretched 1.3 kilometres.

Initially a punt crossed the gap before the first “sliding” bridge was built in 1849. In the early 1880’s a swing bridge was built to accommodate a railway. It was replaced by two swing bridges in the early 1900s, one for the railway, and one for the road traffic.

Construction on the present steel vertical lift bridge across the Derwent began in 1939 and due to WWII wasn’t completed until 1946.

The bridge is the oldest surviving lift span bridge in Australia. The lifting section is one of only a few remaining in the Southern Hemisphere, and is the largest of its kind remaining in Australia. The bridge was designed to last a century without replacement.

A small control house stands on the lifting section. Inside are the switches and locks which operate the bridge.

Towards the end of 2010, the State government released plans for a new Derwent River crossing, next to the current bridge. The new bridge, when complete, will carry the Midland Highway and the old bridge will be left open for rail, pedestrian and local traffic. [SOURCE]

I took these photos while Ralphie had a haircut. We went for a walk around the Old Beach foreshore before we left.

Below are two photos I took from a yacht in 2000 as we passed under the bridge that show the centre span raised. I took these with a Canon PowerShot A300 3.2MP camera.

Thanks for visiting, make the most of your day 😀