Hampden Suspension Bridge, Kangaroo Valley, NSW
I’m not a bridge enthusiast or anything but I really love this bridge, it was crazy to see how much the wooden decking moved when trucks passed over it.
The bridge is also the only surviving suspension bridge from the colonial period of NSW and was an outstanding engineering achievement for its time.
Hampden Bridge replaced a 2-span timber trust bridge which was built in 1879 and was offically opened on 19th May 1898 by Hon J.H Young, Minister for Works and was named after Lord Hampden, Governor of New South Wales 1895-1899.
The bridge is a sandstone and steel structure suspended on each side by fourteen steel cables 37mm in diameter, with a tensile strength of 79.6 tonnes. The clear span is 77 metres, width 5.5 metres and deck 16.8 metres above the river bed. The medieval style towers are 16.8 metres higher than the decking.
The bridge was designed by Engineers De Burgh & Allen of the NSW Department Public Works and was built at a cost of $16,764AU by contractors Loveridge & Hudson of Bowarl.
Comment by B&B Blackpool on 10 October 2009:
Looks pretty much like the Menai road bridge over the strait between North Wales and Anglesey.
That one was designed and built by a Thomas Telford. I wonder if the NSW public works dept had the engineers copy the design?
Comment by B&B Blackpool on 10 October 2009:
Looks pretty much like the Menai road bridge over the strait between North Wales and Anglesey.
That one was designed and built by a Thomas Telford. I wonder if the NSW public works dept had the engineers copy the design?
Comment by Jimmy on 16 October 2009:
I didn’t even know this existed and I live fairly close. Looks awesome 😀
Comment by Jimmy on 16 October 2009:
I didn’t even know this existed and I live fairly close. Looks awesome 😀
Comment by Edmsupport on 28 October 2009:
I didn’t know this bridge. Is important to know that there are still structures that have made history.
Thanks for the information
Comment by Edmsupport on 28 October 2009:
I didn’t know this bridge. Is important to know that there are still structures that have made history.
Thanks for the information