What is the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne?
The West Gate Bridge is a steel box girder cable-stayed bridge carrying traffic over the Yarra River in Melbourne. It is remembered for the 1970 collapse during construction that killed 35 workers.
On 15 October 1970, a 112-metre span of the unfinished bridge collapsed into the Yarra, killing 35 workers. It remains Australia's worst industrial accident.
A royal commission blamed design errors and poor construction methods. The disaster led to major changes in bridge engineering standards worldwide.
Completion
The bridge was completed and opened in 1978. Its main span is 336 metres, and the deck is about 58 metres above the water, allowing ships to reach the port.
Today it carries around 200,000 vehicles a day between the CBD and Melbourne's western suburbs and Geelong, making it one of the busiest roads in Australia. Strengthening work in the 2000s allowed it to carry more lanes.
West Gate Bridge Memorial Park, beneath the bridge on the western bank, honours the workers who died. The West Gate Tunnel project was built nearby to give trucks an alternative route.
Did You Know?
Each year on 15 October, a ceremony is held at the West Gate Bridge Memorial Park to remember those who died.