Wallen Road Bridge

This article refers to the bridge in Hawthorn. For information about the Swan Street Bridge near Cremorne, please see the relevant Wikipedia article.

Wallen Road Bridge is a bridge that carries Swan Street across the Yarra River in Hawthorn. It has also been known as Richmond Park Bridge and Swan Street Bridge at various points of its history.

History

Construction

A stone and time capsule to commemorate the construction was laid in the western pier by the first mayor of Richmond City Council, Samuel Winter, on 5 August 1882.

The cost of construction was split evenly between the Town of Richmond, District of Hawthorn and the Victorian Government.

Upon its opening in 1883, the bridge became an important connection between the two municipalities and soon became an attractive feature for real estate agents to advertise nearby properties. However, soon after its opening, the architect and surveyor for the project sued Richmond Council for additional costs incurred.

1882 - 1934

Strengthening works were carried out in 1915 to accommodate the additional weight of the new electric tram line to Burwood. The road carriageway was also widened to make room for the tram tracks. Specialist engineer divers worked underwater in the Yarra River to prepare foundations for additional columns, saw tree trunks and complete other tasks. The two divers employed on the project, George Tucker and Alfred Warren, were profiled on the front page of The Herald in September of that year.

1934 collapse

In December 1934, the bridge partially collapsed owing to damage caused to its foundations by the severe floods of that month. From 4 December, hundreds of trucks carried sandbags to the site in an attempt to shore up its supports. Richmond Council, the authority responsible for the bridge at the time, closed to bridge to all traffic until it could be made safe again.

Photo from The Age showing the damage sustained by the Wallen Road Bridge during the Victorian floods of 1934.

There followed a re-ignited dispute with the State Government over funding for bridge maintenance and repairs. The mayor of the time, Cr Williams, is quoted as saying: "We have too many bridges to look after. Let the [State] Government take the responsibility of opening it". Both Hawthorn and Richmond Councils had previously warned the State Government about the condition of the bridge.

On 20 December, temporary repairs have been effected and the bridge reopened to trams and general traffic. However, a speed restriction of four miles per hour (around 6 km/h) was implemented to prevent the bridge from shaking.

Repairs and reconstruction

After some squabbling between the various authorities, a proposal was put forward in July 1935 for a full reconstruction. The Victorian Public Works Department submitted a proposal to Richmond Council to rebuild and widen the bridge. The works would not only repair the existing damage but improve the bridge's capacity due to increasing traffic volumes in the area. It would also allow for Yarra Boulevard to run underneath the bridge's western span. The total cost of 24,000 pounds was split between the Victorian Government, Hawthorn City Council, Richmond City Council and the Metropolitan Tramways Board.

The bridge ran into difficulties again during the reconstruction work. In August 1937, the river bank collapsed and resulted in construction materials falling into a pit.

See also

• Johnston Street Bridge
• Victoria Bridge
• Hawthorn Bridge