Merivale Bridge
Merivale Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 27°28′09″S 153°00′47″E / 27.4693°S 153.0130°E |
| Carries | Beenleigh, Cleveland and Gold Coast lines |
| Crosses | Brisbane River |
| Locale | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Through arch |
| Total length | 877m |
| Longest span | 132m |
| History | |
| Designer | Cameron McNamara Pty Ltd |
| Construction cost | $21 million |
| Opened | 18 November 1978 |
| Location | |
The Merivale Bridge is a double track railway bridge crossing the Brisbane River. It crosses the Milton Reach of the river, located in between the Go Between Bridge and the William Jolly Bridge. Exclusively a railway crossing, it is located between the stations of South Brisbane and Roma Street, linking the northern and southern elements of the Queensland Rail City network. The Merivale Bridge is the only inner-city rail crossing in Brisbane. By 2016 it was expected to be over capacity, leading the Queensland Government to announce the Cross River Rail project.
The Merivale Bridge opened on 18 November 1978 by Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen. At the opening with 850 guests, the Premier, described the occasion as "the start of the second stage in the history of Queensland Railways".
It formed a more direct route into the city for Brisbane's southern system suburban trains than the existing route via Corinda. Since 1986 it also has carried the standard gauge line from New South Wales. It was designed by Cameron McNamara Pty Ltd (consulting engineers) and was fabricated and erected by Transfield.
The bridge has been recognised with a number of awards. In 1980 it was named the most outstanding engineering project from the Association of Consulting Engineers of Australia. Judges appreciated the combination of aesthetics and functionality. It also won the 1979 Steel Award.