User:Nobletripe/Sheahan bridge

The Sheahan Bridge is a Steel Box Girder bridge crossing the flood plain and Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai, New South Wales

The need for a new bridge to replace the Prince Alfred Bridge began sometime after 1932 as the current bridge at the time (Prince Alfred Bridge) was falling into disrepair and becoming harder to maintain. The Sheahan bridge was opened to the public in March 1977. The new bridge by-passed the town of Gundagai and took traffic off the Prince Alfred Bridge for the first time in 100 years.

The bridge was named after Bill Sheahan (1895–1975), who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Yass from 1941–1950 and for Burrinjuck from 1950–1973 and held various ministerial portfolios.

Duplication
The duplication of Sheahan Bridge began in 2007 and was completed in 2012. The existing Sheahan Bridge is now used by all North Bound Traffic,

cost $78 million

longer than Sydney harbour Bridge?

Other bridge info is assumed as the new bridge is a 'duplication' of the old sheahan bridge

sources:

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_western_region/completed_projects/sheahan_bridge/documents/sheahan_bridge_cu_may08.pdf

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_western_region/completed_projects/sheahan_bridge/documents/sheahan_bridge_cu_0607.pdf

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_western_region/completed_projects/sheahan_bridge/documents/sheahan_bridge_cu_may.pdf

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadprojects/projects/south_western_region/completed_projects/sheahan_bridge/index.html

http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301652

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=5pqniisKDzQC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=Sheahan+Bridge+design&source=bl&ots=xPAEg4062h&sig=IZy7YvZRf99lNYmYk4TfU0BHjgo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jPKTT73vHYKViQejs-z-Aw&ved=0CFgQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Sheahan%20Bridge%20design&f=false