Victoria Bridge (Penrith)

Victoria Bridge, also known as the Nepean River Bridge, is a wrought iron girder bridge which crosses the Nepean River in the western suburb of Penrith in Sydney, Australia. It carries the Great Western Highway

It replaces a punt service and timber bridge which was twice destroyed by floods. Designed by Engineer in Chief of Railways, John Whitton, construction began in 1864 and was completed in 1867. Originally it took one railway line and a road across the river, however in 1907 another bridge was constructed a few metres to the north which henceforth took two railway lines across the river, and the original bridge reverted to road and pedestrian use only. [" [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=heritage.show&id=4301653 Victoria Bridge over Nepean River] "," [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/environment/heritage/heritageconservreg/index.html RTA Heritage and Conservation Register] " Accessed 19th September, 2006.]

The bridge is significant in the development of the colony of NSW as it allowed the railway, which previously terminated at Penrith, to reach the Blue Mountains and beyond, as well as providing continuous road passage across the river using the Great Western Highway.

Today the bridge's significance as a road route to the Blue Mountains is diminished, as the Great Western Highway no longer leads to the Blue Mountains on its former alignment. The M4 Western Motorway now serves as the road route into the mountains where it joins the Great Western Highway at Lapstone Hill. Nevertheless, bridge maintains its significance as a local tourist attraction and a centrepiece to sporting events along the Nepean River, as well as continuing to serve as vital link between the suburbs west of the Nepean, such as Emu Plains, and the major suburban centre of Penrith. The 1907 railway bridge however, still takes the western railway line over the river and to the Blue Mountains.

The 1867 bridge is similar in design to the older Menangle Railway Bridge over the Nepean River at Menangle, southwest of Sydney. The Menangle bridge, however, has always been used only for rail traffic, and as of 2007 is still in use by the railway.

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