Captain Cook Bridge, New South Wales

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Captain Cook Bridge, Sydney
Captain Cook Bridge3.JPG
Captain Cook Bridge, Sydney, view from Sans Souci
Carries Motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles
Crosses Georges River
Locale Southern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Owner Roads and Maritime Services
Material Concrete girder
Total length 506 metres (1,660 ft)
Width 27.5 metres (90 ft)
Number of spans 7
Constructed by John Holland Group
Construction begin 1962 (1962)
Construction end 1965 (1966)
Construction cost A$3 million
Opened 29 May 1965 (1965-05-29)
Coordinates 34°00′29″S 151°07′39″E / 34.00794444°S 151.1276083°E / -34.00794444; 151.1276083Coordinates: 34°00′29″S 151°07′39″E / 34.00794444°S 151.1276083°E / -34.00794444; 151.1276083
References: [1]

The Captain Cook Bridge is a six-lane precast prestressed concrete girder bridge for motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles, that crosses the Georges River in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The bridge crosses near the river mouth as it empties into Botany Bay; and links the St George and Sutherland areas of Sydney.

Location and features[edit]

The Captain Cook Bridge consists of seven spans totalling 475 metres (1,558 ft) in length, with a 506-metre (1,660 ft) long deck that is 27.5 metres (90 ft) wide with initially eight traffic lanes and two footways. The roadway now carries three lanes of traffic in either direction, plus shared bicycle and pedestrian paths, segregated from the roadway on both the eastern and western sides of the bridge. Its foundations go up to 67 metres (220 ft) below water level to its sandstone base. The bridge was opened on 29 May 1965[1] and links Rocky Point Road at Sans Souci in the St George area to Taren Point Road at Taren Point in the Sutherland Shire. Loop walkways run under the bridge at both sides and provide access along the foreshore.

The bridge is one of three crossings, and the easternmost, over the Georges River. The other two crossings over the Georges River are Tom Uglys Bridge, which opened in 1929 and Alfords Point Bridge, which opened in 1973.

The Captain Cook Bridge is the only section of the planned F6 Freeway that has been built inside the Sydney metropolitan area; with the other sections being between Waterfall and Bulli Tops and further south between Gwynneville to Yallah.[1] The speed limit across the bridge and associated road sections is 70 kilometres per hour (43 mph).[2]

History[edit]

A ferry service ran between Sans Souci and Taren Point from 1911. From April 1916 a vehicular punt ran between the two points,[3] and continued to do so even after the opening of the Tom Uglys Bridge in 1929.

The Captain Cook Bridge is named in honour of Captain James Cook, a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy, who landed at nearby Kurnell on 29 April 1770, during his first voyage of discovery aboard the Endeavour.[4]

Gallery[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "1965 – Captain Cook Bridge". Sydney for everyone. Retrieved 14 June 2014. 
  2. ^ Trembath, Murray (8 November 2013). "Speed limit on approach to Captain Cook Bridge won't change, but warning signs reviewed". St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 14 June 2014. 
  3. ^ "George's River Ferry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 March 1916. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 
  4. ^ "Captain Cook Bridge (1965), southern approach". Heritage and conservation register. Roads and Traffic Authority, New South Wales. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 13 September 2010. 

External links[edit]