Moore River Road Bridge, Moora

Values

• the place has historical associations with the early development of the Main Roads Department in the 1950s.
• the place is a representative example of the type and style of low timber road bridges constructed by the State in the 1950s period.

Physical Description

Moore River Road Bridge, Moora, is a double lane timber road bridge over a tributary of the Moore River, located along Midlands Road within the town site of Moora. The bridge is approximately 50.0 m long, 3.5 m high above the riverbed and is 10.9 m wide. The trestle bridge consists of 8 spans constructed between two concrete abutments, although the foundation of these abutments is not apparent. The bridge deck is no longer visible but is assumed to be timber plank. The deck is set onto a series of timber log stringers, bolted onto timber corbels, which in turn rest atop groups of timber log piles upon which the structure rests. The piles are connected via paired timber halfcaps, timber walings and braces, bolted onto the piles. Some of the timber piles and halfcaps have been replaced with steel beams. The spacing of the timber piles appears uneven, which indicates later additions built to support a widened bridge. The surface of the bridge consists of a bituminised road, exposed concrete kerbs with timber handrails affixed to both the kerb and stringers via timber trusses (although on the western side the timber handrails have been replaced with a more recent metal tube and chain mesh barrier). There are also metal drainage plates extending from the kerbs to avoid runoff eroding the bridge structure. The bridge surface is divided between the road traffic area and a pedestrian crossing via another series of timber handrails.

History

The Main Roads Board was established in 1926, taking over some of the responsibilities of the Public Works Department. The board was re-established as the Main Roads Department in 1930. Main Roads became an active part of the state’s response to the economic crisis, providing short-term work for unemployed on a variety of infrastructure projects, even while struggling to cut costs and staff within their own structure. These works included road works and bridgeworks, with a focus on the southwest of the state. By the late 1940s, following the end of World War II, Main Roads took on the mammoth task of sealing over 2,500 miles of the State’s Roads. Major development was planned for Western Australia, and roads were the vital link between resources, produce and markets. Bridges were an important part of the road system, particularly in the Southwest. Bridges were usually constructed from timber, due to the material being readily available, durable and strong. Main Roads had specialised construction gangs that built bridges, usually to a standard plan. Concrete and steel were often also used as supporting materials. The Main Roads’ Bridges Section was managed by Ernie Godfrey from 1928 until 1957. Active and well-respected, Godfrey was a key designer on a number of large bridge projects until his retirement in 1957 and later acted as a consultant for the design and construction of the Narrows Bridge from 1958 to 1959. By the 1960s, Main Roads was undergoing a period of intensive growth and restructuring. The state’s mineral boom had created a heavy workload for Main Roads as the technically experienced but understaffed department scrambled to supply the infrastructure needed to take full advantage of the State’s new economic opportunities. Funding for infrastructure development was also available during this time through the National Association of Australian State Road Authorities (NAASRA), which had been formed in 1959. NAAASRA’s purpose was to coordinate a uniform approach to road engineering and included technical committees on bridges. Moore River Road Bridge, Moora was constructed in 1953 in the town of Moora. This bridge was likely constructed as part of Main Roads’ recurrent program of bridge construction, rather than a one-off specific scheme. Moore River Road Bridge, Moora was widened in 1963, and further upgraded in 1990 with the addition of the current concrete and bitumen overlay. In 2015, Moore River Road Bridge, Moora continues to be used as a road traffic bridge.

Uses

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