Morell Bridge

The Morell Bridge is an arch bridge over the Yarra River in South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Completed in 1899 by John Monash and J. T. N. Anderson, it is notable as the first bridge in Victoria that was built using reinforced concrete.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

It features decorations on the three arch spans, including large dragon motifs and ornamental Victorian lights. The gutters on the bridge are cobbled bluestone, with a single lane bitumen strip running down the middle. The bridge is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.^[6]

Originally known as the Anderson Street bridge, it was named the Morell Bridge in 1936 after Sir Stephen Morell,^[7] who was a prominent Victorian businessman and Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1926 and 1928.

On 7 June 1998 the bridge was closed to motor vehicles as part of the CityLink project.^[8] It is currently used by cyclist and pedestrian traffic, connecting the Royal Botanic Gardens to the Olympic Park precinct.

Engineering heritage award

The bridge received an Engineering Heritage Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.^[9]

References

1. ^ City of Melbourne. "Bridges of Melbourne: Bridge Management Plan". Archived 2008-07-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
2. ^ "The Monier Bridge". The Argus. 21 July 1899. p. 6. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
3. ^
4. ^ Kristin, Otto (2009), Yarra : a diverting history, Text Publishing, p. 190, ISBN 978-1-921520-00-6
5. ^ Holgate, Alan (1998), Monier arch bridge at Anderson Street, Melbourne, the Morell Bridge, Monash University, Dept. of Civil Engineering, ISBN 978-0-7326-2042-4
6. ^
7. ^
8. ^ "Closure of Morrell Bridge Announced". www.transurban.com.au. 7 June 1998. Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
9. ^ "Morell Bridge, 1901-". Engineers Australia. Retrieved 2020-05-03.