A piece of infrastructure that was vital to the development of the North Coast and intercity transport of Grafton has turned 90, and Clarence Valley residents are invited to join in the milestone celebrations this weekend.
The original Grafton Bridge – the only double-decker road and rail bridge in Australia – turned 90 last week. Now Clarence Valley Council and Transport for NSW are giving the community an opportunity to show its appreciation.
Clarence Valley Mayor, Ian Tiley, invited residents and bridge enthusiasts to the Grafton Bridge 90th Birthday Party from 9.30am this Sunday (24 July).
“Long before the first bridge was built across the Clarence in Grafton, a steam punt established in 1859 carried passengers across the ‘Big River’,” Mayor Tiley said.
“I well recall, also as mayor, participating in celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the bridge in 2007 when we drove vintage cars across the bascule truss bridge to commemorate the anniversary.
“I invite the community to enjoy the 90th celebrations.”
Most of the activity including the cake cutting ceremony at 11.30am will take place in McClymont Reserve on the northern side of the river between the two bridges.
“There’s plenty of room and we would like as many people as possible to come along to say ‘thanks’ and ‘happy birthday’,” the TfNSW spokesperson said.
“Come for a walk on the shared user paths on both the new and old bridges, have a sausage sizzle and then join us in the cake cutting ceremony to mark the occasion.
“There’ll also be a limited number of showbags to give away.”
The double-decker Grafton Bridge is affectionately known to locals as the Bendy Bridge as it has a bend at each approach to allow the railway to continue straight while the road diverges.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said it was difficult to appreciate just how important the Grafton Bridge was to the development of the North Coast.
“The only way to cross the Clarence River was by ferry until the Grafton Bridge opened on 19 July, 1932 ,” the spokesperson said.
“The bridge solved all sorts of logistical problems, particularly for rail traffic, and 90 years later the bridge is still going strong and remains a vital part of the Clarence Valley transport network. It will serve Clarence residents for generations to come.”
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