Paringa Bridge
Bridge in Paringa, South Australia
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The Paringa Bridge carries the Sturt Highway across the Murray River in Paringa, South Australia. Until 1982, it also carried the Barmera railway line.
Sturt Highway
Paringa Bridge | |
|---|---|
Eastbound view in February 2006 | |
| Coordinates | 34°11′S 140°47′E |
| Carries | Barmera railway line (until 1982) Sturt Highway |
| Crosses | Murray River |
| Locale | Paringa, South Australia |
| Maintained by | Department for Infrastructure & Transport |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Vertical-lift |
| Total length | 173 metres |
| History | |
| Opened | 31 January 1927 |
| Closed | 7 March 1984 (rail only) |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Paringa Bridge | |
Designed by the South Australian Railways (SAR) and fabricated by Perry Engineering of Adelaide, the vertical-lift bridge opened on 31 January 1927.[1][2] It was built as a road-rail bridge with both the Sturt Highway and Barmera railway lines using the same reservation.[3] Maintenance costs were shared equally between the SAR and Highways department.[4][5]
Subsequently, road lanes were added on either side to segregate the road and rail traffic.[3] The last train crossed the bridge on 21 May 1982 with the line beyond Renmark formally closed on 7 March 1984.[6] The railway tracks were removed in 1986 and the centre reservation converted to a shared pedestrian and cycle path.[7]
As at September 2025, the vertical-lift span is opened twice a day for river traffic.[8]
