Tasman Bridge#Reconstruction

During the 1950s, Hobart's eastern shore underwent substantial expansion due to the opening of the Hobart International Airport at Cambridge in 1956.{{sfn|Cashion|1965}} By 1957, the airport was the country's fifth busiest,{{Cite web |url=https://tahs.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/TAHS-2020.0005.0_Hobart-Airport.pdf |title=Hobart International Airport – A Brief History |date=2020-09-01 |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Tasmanian Aviation Historical Society |last=Dearing |first=W. |page=1}}{{Cite web |url=https://hobartairport.com.au/corporate/about-us/our-story/#:~:text=Built%20on%20what%20was%20the,fifth%20busiest%20airport%20in%20Australia. |title=Our history |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Hobart Airport}} and the surge in air travel, associated automobile usage and surrounding developments led to a notable rise in traffic, overwhelming the capacity of the existing Hobart Bridge. With its single carriageway struggling to manage escalating traffic volumes and frequent disruptions due to the lifting of the bridge's lift span for passing ships, a necessity emerged for a novel bridge solution. These challenges highlighted the pressing need for a new, more accommodating bridge designed specifically for the increased traffic flow without constant interruptions for maritime navigation.

In 1956, Tasmania's Department of Public Works commissioned Maunsell & Partners Pty Ltd to design the new River Derwent crossing. The stable foundation for the bridge was ensured by the favorable conditions of the riverbed between Queens Domain and Montagu Bay on the eastern shore, which includes bedrock, dolerite, and basalt beneath the silt. The engineers recommended a bridge supported by multiple piers due to the width of the water expanse, similar to that of the Sydney Harbour Bridge but requiring a comparable height to accommodate medium-sized cargo vessels. Consequently, a decision was made to construct a girder bridge featuring twenty-two spans, including a navigation span at its apex, with thirteen spans to the west and six spans to the east, each measuring {{convert|42.7|meters}} wide. To achieve the height of the {{Convert|60.5|m|adj=on}} apex, a large sequence of interval spans was critical in the design to accommodate the weight of concrete required for each heightened pier, with its deepest pile measuring {{convert|265|ft|order=flip}} below mean sea level.{{Cite web |url=https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/technology/industry/display/108495-opening-of-the-tasman-bridge |title=Opening of the Tasman Bridge |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=Monument Australia}}

Criticism of then-Premier Eric Reece arose in 1958 when concerns were raised by engineers about the susceptibility of the concrete design to potential ship collisions. Investigative reports revealed Reece's dismissal of objections during parliamentary proceedings in favor of the $14 million project over a slightly more expensive suspension bridge option.{{Citation | title=The Bulletin | year=1880 | section=Labor's Bridge of Sighs | issn=0007-4039 | series=John Ryan Comic Collection (Specific issues). | issue=Vol. 097 No. 4951 (5 Apr 1975) | location=Sydney, N.S.W | publisher=John Haynes and J.F. Archibald |last=Stephens |first=Tom |page=12 | section-url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1440175956 | id=nla.obj-1440175956 | access-date=21 November 2023 | via=Trove}}{{Citation | title=Second Hobart Bridge: report on Tasman bridge, risk of ship collision and methods of protection, September 1978 | author1=Maunsell & Partners | author2=Brady, P. J. E | author3=Joint Committee on Second Hobart Bridge | author4=Tasmania. Department of Main Roads | year=1978 | publisher=Dept. of Main Roads, Tasmania | isbn=0-7246-0916-4 | url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2893310 | access-date=21 November 2023 |language=English

}}

File:View of Tasman Bridge under construction with Hobart pontoon bridge still in place (1964) (16198893025).jpg remains in place (1964)]]

Tenders were issued in April 1959, and contracts were subsequently awarded to Reed, Braithwaite, Stuart, and Lipscombe in November of the same year.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103070746 |title=New £4m. Bridge For Derwent |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=34 |issue=9,459 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=28 November 1959 |access-date=28 November 2023 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

Construction on the eastern shore viaduct commenced in May 1960. A labour force of over 400 workers were employed during peak construction.{{sfn|Department of Public Works|page=25|1965}}

Several prerequisites were crucial during construction. The old Hobart Bridge had to remain operational until the Tasman Bridge's completion, and shipping lanes along the River Derwent needed to stay open. The construction posed significant challenges for Hobart as it marked the city's largest and most expensive undertaking to date. Procuring construction equipment, such as jacks and wires, required sourcing from the UK, while reinforced steel had to be imported from the Australian mainland, contributing to the bridge's elevated cost, totaling £7 million, equivalent to $14 million in 2015.

The first two lanes bridge opened on 18 August 1964.Giant Bridge Opened Truck & Bus Transportation September 1964 page 109Tasman Bridge Australian Transport October 1964 page 27 The other two lanes opened on 23 December 1964. It was officially opened on 29 March 1965 by Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Upon completion, the Tasman Bridge was the longest prestressed concrete bridge in Australia, utilising {{convert|45000|lt|order=flip}} of concrete and {{convert|5200|lt|order=flip}} of reinforcement steel.{{sfn|Department of Public Works|page=4|1965}}

{{Main|Tasman Bridge disaster}}

File:Tasman Bridge disaster 1975.jpg

On 5 January 1975, the SS Lake Illawarra, a {{convert|140|metre|adj=on}} bulk ore carrier, collided bow first with the pile capping of Pier 19 and then amidships with Pier 18{{Cite AV media |title=Dividing Impact: The Tasman Bridge Collapse |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0yaMq99CZA&t=530s |date=2022-03-28 |type=Documentary film |language=English |publisher=Brick Immortar}} while en route to EZ Industries' Risdon Zinc Works with a cargo of {{convert|10000|tonnes}} of zinc concentrate. These successive impacts led to the collapse of both piers, their supporting pylons, and three unsupported sections of the bridge deck spanning {{convert|127|m}}, causing the vessel to sink and resulting in the deaths of seven crew members. Five motorists lost their lives when four cars drove over the collapsed sections before traffic was halted. A major press shot showed a Holden Monaro HQ and Holden EK perched balancing on the ledge.{{Cite web |year=2000 |url=http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/brd1.htm |title=Bridge gone |publisher=Tasmanian Government |access-date=22 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412042948/https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/brd1.htm |archive-date=12 April 2020 }}

The breakage of an important arterial link isolated the residents in Hobart's eastern suburbs – the relatively short drive across the Tasman Bridge to the city suddenly became a {{convert|50|km|mi|0|adj=on}} journey via the estuary's next bridge at Bridgewater. The only other vehicular crossing within Hobart after the bridge collapsed was the Risdon Punt, a cable ferry which crossed the river from East Risdon and Risdon, some {{Convert|5|km|spell=in}} upstream from the bridge. It was totally inadequate, carrying only eight cars on each crossing, and although ferries provided a service across the river; it was not until December 1975 that a two lane, {{Convert|788|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-long}} bailey bridge was opened to traffic, {{convert|2|km|spell=in}} to the north from Dowsing Point to Cleburne Point thereby restoring some connectivity.Hobart's Temporary Bridge Australian Transport April 1976 pages 34/35 The bailey bridge remained in use until replaced by the Bowen Bridge in 1984.Hobart Electric Traction May 1984 page 93

The separation of Hobart saw an immediate surge in the small and limited passenger ferry service then operating across the river. In a primary position to provide a service were the two ferries of Bob Clifford.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110632180 |title=Tasman Bridge: Falling debris halts search for cars |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=49 |issue=((13,959)) |date=9 January 1975 |access-date=15 February 2024 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}

He had introduced the locally-built ferries Matthew Brady and James McCabe to the river crossing, from the Hobart city centre to the eastern shore, shortly before the collision. These were soon joined by the {{MV|Cartela||}}, a wooden vessel of 1912 vintage, and Kosciusko, Lady Ferguson and Lady Wakehurst that were loaned by the New South Wales Public Transport Commission.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110632428 New terminals for ferries on three weeks] Canberra Times 11 January 1975 page 1A Friend in Need Transport News March 1975 page 3

Following the Tasman Bridge Disaster, former-Premier Eric Reece maintained his defence of the chosen bridge design. Reece argued that the selected design was the sole financially viable option for the state at that time, despite the construction costs doubling throughout the project's execution.

File:Tasman-bridge-fixed-span.jpg

Reconstruction of the Tasman Bridge by John Holland commenced in October 1975. Due to the amount of debris at the foundations, engineers decided not to rebuild Pier 18. Pier 17 on the western side of the gap was reinforced, and the pile cap and shaft of the pier above water level were replaced. A new pier was built at the site of the decimated Pier 19, and the existing Pier 20, on the eastern side of the gap, was repaired and strengthened. A new span, about {{convert|85.5|m}} long, was built in steel box girder construction between piers 17 and 19, and another new, prestressed concrete span, about {{convert|42.5|m}} meters long, was built from the new Pier 19 to Pier 20.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110640703 |title=1977 date for bridge |newspaper=The Canberra Times |volume=49 |issue=14,083 |location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia |date=4 June 1975 |access-date=12 February 2024 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}

The annual expenditures on the Tasman Bridge reconstruction were $1.7 m in 1974–75; $12.3 m in 1975–76; $13.2 m in 1976–77 and $6.1m in 1977–78.

{{cite web|url=http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/07/Files/IP003.pdf|title=Australian Road Financing Statistics 1970–1980|publisher=Bureau of Transport Economics|date=9 March 2001|access-date=30 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722050712/http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/07/Files/IP003.pdf|archive-date=22 July 2008}}

After two and half years and an approximate cost of $44 million, the Tasman Bridge reopened to the public on 8 October 1977.

Following the reopening of the bridge, the Port of Hobart implemented additional maritime safety measures, including directing large vessels to navigate slightly west of the original main navigation span and providing specialised training to harbour pilots in the use of a laser lighthouse for navigation. Additionally, the City of Hobart configured traffic systems to temporarily halt all road traffic when large vessels approach and pass under the bridge.{{Cite web |year=2004 |url=http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1514 |title=Tasman Bridge disaster |publisher=Clarence City Council |access-date=22 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053908/http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/page.aspx?u=1514 |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/community/culture-history/tasman-bridge-disaster/ |title=Tasman Bridge Disaster - City of Clarence: City of Clarence |publisher=Clarence City Council |access-date=16 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816060028/https://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/community/culture-history/tasman-bridge-disaster/ |archive-date=16 August 2022 |url-status=live}}

File:HR-bathymetry-SS-Lake-Illawarra-and-Tasman-Bridge.jpg modelling of the wreck compiled by the CSIRO in 2022]]

The average depth of the river between piers 17 and 19 is {{convert|35|m|ft|0}}, with the wreck of the SS Lake Illawarra lying on the bottom covered by a scattering of concrete debris, presenting no navigational hazard to smaller watercraft. {{convert|10000|tonnes}} of zinc concentrate remain in the vessel's cargo hold.

The wreck attracts regular visits from divers. In 2019, the Tasmanian University Dive Club shared underwater footage of the wreck on social media. This footage, championed as the clearest footage ever captured, was attributed by the Derwent Estuary Program to decreased sediment levels in the River Derwent, a result of improved stormwater management measures in the city.{{Cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-22/lake-illawarra-clearly-shown-on-bottom-of-river-derwent/11626568 |title=Wreck of Lake Illawarra, which struck the Tasman bridge, shown in new underwater footage |date=2019-10-22 |access-date=2024-02-15 |website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |last=MacDonald |first=Megan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903185147/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-22/lake-illawarra-clearly-shown-on-bottom-of-river-derwent/11626568 |archive-date=2023-09-03}}

In 2022, the CSIRO and Jacobs Engineering Group collaborated to produce the first complete 3D model of the wreck, bridge, riverbed, and shoreline. The mapping unveiled the ship's placement adjacent to the bridge between piers 17 and 19 on the eastern shore, with its bow near Pier 19, angled at 45 degrees toward the centre of the river. The vessel's bow lies roughly {{convert|15|m|ft|0}} below the waterline, around {{convert|125|m|ft|0}} from the eastern shore.{{Cite web |url=https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2022/may/new-technology-lights-up-ss-lake-illawarra |title=New technology lights up the location of SS Lake Illawarra |date=2022-05-20 |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=CSIRO |last=Marrison |first=Matthew |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004125343/https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2022/may/new-technology-lights-up-ss-lake-illawarra |archive-date=2023-10-04}}

The bridge deck was widened to accommodate a fifth traffic lane during the bridge's 1975 reconstruction. Utilising a Japanese construction method dubbed the "Nippon clip-on,"{{Cite book | author1=Sargent, John R | title=Visions of the Derwent's Eastern Shore: a pictorial compilation | publication-date=2014 | publisher=John Sargent | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/192761606 | access-date=3 January 2024}} the central lane incorporates a reversible lane management system for tidal flow operations.The Roads Australian Transport October 1978 page 6

Designed to optimise vehicle flow throughout the day, the reversible lane operates with a traffic light system and a sign above each lane. These signs, working in tandem with the traffic lights, utilise a pulley system to periodically shift over their respective lanes. During morning peak hours, the middle lane directs traffic towards the city side (or western shore), while during evening peak hours, it points back towards the eastern shore. Outside of peak hours, the lane generally directs traffic towards the eastern shore. This adaptable lane configuration maximises the bridge's capacity and reduces congestion by efficiently utilising lanes according to current traffic demand.

File:Tasman Bridge Ukraine Lights Hobart Tasmania Australia.jpg]]

In 2019 the Hobart City Council commissioned Decrolux to convert the Tasman bridge's fluorescent lighting with modern LED lighting. Spanning almost {{convert|3|km}} and utilising 1,930 LEDs, the project was completed in 2021.{{Cite web |url=https://decrolux.com.au/completed-lighting-projects/tasman-bridge-lighting-upgrade |title=Tasman Bridge Lighting Upgrade |access-date=2023-03-08 |website=decrolux.com.au}}

These remotely programmable lights have been utilized for various purposes, including commemorating annual events such as Dark Mofo and the TasPride parade, supporting sports teams like the Hobart Hurricanes and Tasmania JackJumpers, marking special occasions like the inauguration of Queen Mary of Denmark, and raising awareness for causes such as Women's Health Week and Men's Health Week.

In 1987, a renovation initiative implemented the use of sensors to measure the currents of the river and the strength of winds, assisting ships in determining the optimal route for safe passage beneath the bridge.

{{Wide image|Tasman_Bridge_Night_Panorama.jpg|1600 px|Panorama of the Tasman Bridge at night.}}

Tasman-under-from-east-shore.jpg|View of the bridge from the eastern shore

Tasman-bridge-from-south.jpg|Looking towards the Tasman Bridge from Montagu Bay

NS14TasmanBridge.JPG|Dinghy and the bridge.

Tasman Bridge Hobart1.jpg|The view of the Bridge from Mount Wellington

Derwent River 013.jpg|A view of the bridge from the river

Tasman Bridge from Western shore.JPG|Tasman Bridge from the Western shore

Bridge into Hobart.jpg|Entering the bridge from the eastern shore

Tasman Bridge towards Rose Bay, Hobart, Tasmania (36103737153).jpg|Entering the bridge from the west side

• List of bridges in Australia
• List of bridge failures
• List of disasters in Australia by death toll

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |title=Before They Built The Bridge: An Anecdotal History |last=Christensen |first=E.M. |year=1997 |isbn=0-646-31945-0 |location=Hobart, Tasmania |publisher=E.M. Christensen |language=en |last2=Jones |first2=M.C. |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3425692}}{{sps|date=February 2024}}
• {{Cite book |title=Official Opening - The Tasman Bridge, Hobart |publisher=Department of Public Works |date=1965-03-29 |publication-place=Tasmania, Australia |format=opening ceremony pamphlet |type=Libraries Australia |id=65392892 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/236428744 |ref={{sfnref|Department of Public Works|1965}} }}
• {{Cite AV media |title=Tasman Bridge Construction |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQGfmN1djjw |type=documentary film |id=Reference: AB869/1/2610 |via=YouTube |publisher=Libraries Tasmania |year=1965 |ref={{sfnRef|Cashion|1965}} }}
• {{Citation | title=By Derwent divided: the story of Lake Illawarra, the Tasman Bridge and the 1975 disaster | author1=Lewis, Tom | year=1999 | publisher=Tall Stories | isbn=0-9577351-1-1 | url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/169761 | language=English}}
• {{Citation | author1=Hensher, David A. (David Alan) | title=Re-opening of the Tasman bridge: the effect on mode and route of travel for east-west travel | publication-date=1977 | publisher=School of Economic and Financial Studies, Macquarie University | isbn=978-0-85837-257-3}}
• {{Citation | title=Ten events shaping Tasmania's history | author1=Ludeke, Michael | year=2006 | publisher=Ludeke Publishing | isbn=978-0-9579284-2-8 | url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3791159 | language=English}}
• {{Citation| title=Feasibility of discharging bulk fuel tankers south of the Tasman Bridge | author1=Aplin, Neil | author2=Transport Tasmania. Economic Planning and Research Division | year=1983 | publisher=Economic Planning and Research Division, Transport Tasmania | url=https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1531431 | language=English}}
• {{Citation | title=The Story of Two Bridges | year=1965 | publisher=Platypus Publications | url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2322289 | language=English}}

{{Commons category-inline}}

• [https://www.rosebayhigh.education.tas.edu.au/webcam/ Live webcam view of Hobart including the Tasman Bridge]
• [http://www.transport.tas.gov.au/traffic_cameras/traffic_camera_-_abc_round-a-bout4 Traffic camera view of the Tasman Bridge]
• Archival photographs of construction of the Tasman Bridge: [https://web.archive.org/web/20200412042857/http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/fbr3.htm page 1], [https://web.archive.org/web/20200809075846/http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/fbr4.htm page 2].
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070425210548/http://ink.news.com.au/mercury/mathguys/articles/1995/951208a1.htm 1995 article about Tasman Bridge safety]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20200322180343/https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/hobartbr.htm Hobart To Tasman Bridge 1938–2000]
• {{Structurae|id=20001193|title=Tasman Bridge}}

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|place = River Derwent

|bridge = Tasman Bridge

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|downstream = Storm Bay

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Category:Bridges in Hobart

Category:Bridges completed in 1964

Category:Concrete bridges in Australia

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Category:Road bridges in Tasmania

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