Story Bridge, Brisbane
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The Story Bridge is the second crossing of the Brisbane River. It connects Fortitude Valley to Kangaroo Point. Before the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932 the government of Queensland asked John Bradfield to design a new Brisbane bridge.
It was opened on 6th July, 1940 by Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, Governor of Queensland and named for John Douglas Story, a senior and influential public servant. At the time, Fortitude Valley was the commercial centre of the city. The design for the bridge was based heavily on that of the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal.
It carries three lanes of traffic in either direction as well as a shared pedestrian and cycle way flanking each side. The road on the bridge is called the Bradfield Highway, and is the shortest highway in Australia. It is not to be confused with the Bradfield Highway that spans the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Points of interest
- When opened, a toll was levied.
- The city council only paid off the debt for the construction of the bridge in 2003.
- The Story Bridge is being repainted to remove the lead based paint. The repainting is performed using protective scaffolding to ensure no lead paint dust escapes.
External links
- Brisbane City Council - Captain Burke Park under the Bridge (http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:STANDARD:2123237717:pc=PC_1198)
- OurBrisbane.com image search for Story Bridge (http://www.ourbrisbane.com/inbrief/photos/thumbnails.php?album=search&type=full&search=story+bridge)