Fast Facts
Fourth longest single-span steel arch bridge in the world (longest is the Lupu Bridge in Shanghai (others two are Bayonne Bridge in New York and The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia USA)
| Span of Arch | 503m (1,650ft) |
|---|---|
| Height to top of arch | 134m (440ft) above mean sea level |
| Height to top of aircraft beacon | 141m above mean sea level |
| Weight of steel arch | 39,000 tonnes |
| Total weight of bridge | 52,800 tonnes including arch and mild steel approach spans |
| Bridge movement | The bridge can rise or fall 180mm due to heating or cooling |
| Width of deck | 49 metres |
| Clearance for shipping | 49 metres |
| Height of pylons | 89 metres above mean sea level |
| Base of each abutment tower | 68 metres across and 48 metres long (two pylons rest on each abutment tower) |
| Total length of bridge | 1,149 metres including approach spans |
| Bearing pins | Each of the four pins measures 4.2 metres long and 368 millimetres in diameter |
| Thrust on bearings | Approximately 20,000 tonnes maximum load on each bearing |
| Number of rivets | Approximately 6,000,000 |
| Largest rivet | Weighed 3.5 kilograms and was 395 millimetres long |
| Longest hanger | 58.8 metres |
| Shortest hanger | 7.3 metres |
| Rock excavated for foundations | 122,000 cubic metres |
| Concrete used for bridge | 95,000 cubic metres |
| Granite facing used on pylons and piers | 17,000 cubic metres |
| Allowance for deck expansion | 420 millimetres |
| Number of panels in arch | 28, each 18.28 metres wide |
| Record tonnage erected | 589 tonnes of steelwork was erected on the arch in one day on 26 November 1929 |
| Paint required | 272,000 litres per coat |
| Google Earth coordinates | 33º51'08"S, 151º12'38"E
(Click above to download the coordinates) |
| Initial contract price | £4,217,721, 11 shillings and 10 pence. |
| Final cost | Over £10 million, more than double the original quote. Final payment for the construction loans not made until October 1988. |
