Red Bridge, Campbell Town
Background
Completed in 1838, the bridge carries the Midland Highway over the Elizabeth River and has been in continuous use since then.
Captain Alexander Cheyne, Director-General of Roads and Bridges, chose the site. His plan was to cross the Elizabeth River flood plain with a causeway above flood level, site the bridge so that it could be mostly constructed in the dry, and then divert the river through the bridge into a new downstream canal, bypassing the southern loop in the original river course.
Originally thought to be designed by James Blackburn, recent research suggests that Cheyne was the designer.
Construction was carried out by convict labour, chosen where possible to include the more willing and skilled workers. At its peak the project employed 220 men, including two teams of brickmakers and a stone cutter. An estimated 1.5 million bricks were made on site and laid in the structure and training walls. The four basalt training walls are a feature of the bridge, extending both upstream and downstream from each end of the bridge.
Following concerns about the arch deflections occurring under heavy trucks, a Conservation Management Plan was prepared with the result that the arches were strengthened internally with grouted stainless steel reinforcement bars using the Cintek Archtek system.
Heritage Significance
- It is one of the oldest surviving bridges in Australia, is the oldest brick bridge, and is the oldest bridge on the National highway network.
- It resulted from Lieutenant Governor George Arthur’s emphasis on road and bridge construction in the colony of Van Diemen’s Land.
- The strengthening system is entirely hidden within the structure and has no visual impact of the heritage values of the bridge.
Engineering Heritage Recognition Program
| Marker Type | Engineering Heritage National Marker (EHNM) |
| Award Date | July 2017 |
| Nomination Document | Nomination document |
| Interpretation Panel | Interpretation panel |
