This bridge piqued my interest after seeing a photo on Google Earth taken of it from up high, showing an Aerochute passing over it. The bridge is 70 Metres long with 15 openings, and bridges a small lake at probably it's widest point. The lake appears to be the remains of a creek that changed it's course way back and left it stranded. It is also possible that this may be a remnant of the Latrobe River in an earlier time.
It is almost a pest, in that it sits squarely in the relentless path of the straight-as-an-arrow railway line. You feel it might have better been filled in rather than wasting a perfectly good bridge on such a small lake.
On the other hand, the lake does mean that you can view the entirety of the bridge without any annoying vegetation getting in the way.
The bridge itself is in fairly good condition, even the two refuges are still in position, although there are no railings left. It has a transverse deck with wooden longitudinal beams, in common with bridge 2. But oddly, there is a single shaped Corbel hanging off the side part way across the bridge, with no suggestion as to why it is there. Most of the piers are 4 pile with outboard stay piles, although the last pier on the North end appears to have lost its stay piles, or perhaps they were never there.
As with the other bridges, the safety fence and new deck is simply sitting on the old deck, and probably the remaining ballast is now at the bottom of the lake. It was certainly evident of the aerial photo.
Unfortunately, the sky became quite dull when I reached this bridge, so I must apologise for the dull appearance of the photos. You can only Photoshop so far.. The good news was that the sun reappeared for the next, and very important bridge.
Looking South across the deck.
View from the North East quadrant.
Slightly wider view.
A full shot of the entire bridge.
One of the two remaining refuges, this one on the West side.
It is almost a pest, in that it sits squarely in the relentless path of the straight-as-an-arrow railway line. You feel it might have better been filled in rather than wasting a perfectly good bridge on such a small lake.
On the other hand, the lake does mean that you can view the entirety of the bridge without any annoying vegetation getting in the way.
The bridge itself is in fairly good condition, even the two refuges are still in position, although there are no railings left. It has a transverse deck with wooden longitudinal beams, in common with bridge 2. But oddly, there is a single shaped Corbel hanging off the side part way across the bridge, with no suggestion as to why it is there. Most of the piers are 4 pile with outboard stay piles, although the last pier on the North end appears to have lost its stay piles, or perhaps they were never there.
As with the other bridges, the safety fence and new deck is simply sitting on the old deck, and probably the remaining ballast is now at the bottom of the lake. It was certainly evident of the aerial photo.
Unfortunately, the sky became quite dull when I reached this bridge, so I must apologise for the dull appearance of the photos. You can only Photoshop so far.. The good news was that the sun reappeared for the next, and very important bridge.
Looking South across the deck.
View from the North East quadrant.
A full shot of the entire bridge.
One of the two remaining refuges, this one on the West side.
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