The Rip Bridge

The Rip Bridge was commissioned by the Department of Main Roads NSW and was constructed to an innovate design by John Holland Constructions Propriety Limited between 1971 and 1974.

The Rip Bridge was opened by the Acting NSW Premier Sir Charles Cutler & Minister for Highways on Friday 14th June 1974.

The bridge comprises 2 cantilever trusses of 147m in length and a central suspended span of 36m. The overall length of the bridge is 330m and it has a main span of 183m and a vertical navigational clearance of 50m.

The bridge spans Brisbane Water and was intended to connect the relatively isolated eastern shore with the better-connected western shore.

The bridge was positioned where the channel was at its narrowest but also where the tidal flow was at its strongest causing a ‘tidal rip’, hence the name of the bridge. The positioning of the bridge at this point presented a number of technical challenges which led to the innovative design chosen for the bridge.