Milperra Bridge

Prior to the bridge being built, there was no road crossing of Georges River between Tom Uglys Bridge and Liverpool, although the road to Canterbury (Milperra Road) was built up to the east bank. The road over Georges River via Liverpool Weir and the later 1894 truss bridge went southeast toward Wollongong via Old Illawarra Road, through what is now the Holsworthy Military Reserve.

There was call for access between the two post-World War 1 soldier settlement areas at Chipping Norton and Milperra, and a punt was proposed in the early 1920s.^[1]

The subsequent early design for the bridge by the Department of Public Works showed a height above water of only 4 metres (12 ft)^[2] which was much decried by the locals, requesting the Department that it be higher, for the commercial and sporting interests of the area. The Department replied with a proposal of 5 metres (17 ft).^[3] The bridge, a two-lane three-span wooden truss bridge, was opened to traffic in April 1931.^[4]

By the 1960s, this bridge was not able to cope with the increase in traffic and was slated for replacement.^[5]

The current prestressed concrete structure, 85 m long, is wider and higher than the previous bridge, and carries six lanes of traffic. It was built in two stages, with the eastbound half being built first, immediately upstream of the original bridge. This opened for two-way traffic in October 1965 and the earlier bridge was then demolished and other half of the new bridge, for westbound traffic, was built on the site of the original bridge.

The replacement bridge was completed and opened in February 1966.

The new bridge was part of a simultaneous upgrading of Milperra and Newbridge Roads, which were widened to six lanes from Victoria St Revesby to what is now Kelso Crescent Moorebank (Kelso Crescent was previously part of Epsom Rd, with Newbridge Road terminating at Epsom Rd).

The section of Newbridge Road from Kelso Crescent westward had been reconstructed to six lanes in 1958 in conjunction with the construction of Liverpool Bridge.

Milperra Bridge
Coordinates	33°55′46″S 150°58′44″E / 33.929441°S 150.978890°E / -33.929441; 150.978890
Carried	Newbridge Road
Crossed	Georges River
Other name	Moorebank Bridge[6]
Owner	Transport for NSW
Characteristics
Design	Composite truss
Material	Timber
Total length	72 metres (237 ft)
Width	6 metres (20 ft)[7]
Longest span	27 metres (90 ft)
No. of spans	6
Piers in water	5
Clearance below	5 metres (17 ft)
History
Opened	18 April 1931[8]
Collapsed	1965
Replaced by	Current bridge
Location
Interactive map of Milperra Bridge