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{{Infobox Bridge |
|image=A1_Sydney_Harbour_Bridge.JPG
|bridge_name=Sydney Harbour Bridge
|official_name=Sydney Harbour Bridge
|location=[[Sydney]], [[Australia]]<BR> ({{coor dms|33|51|08|S|151|12|38|E|region:AU-NSW_type:landmark}})
|carries=Trains, Motor vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles
|crosses=[[Port Jackson]]
|open=[[19 March]] [[1932]]
|below=49 metres (161 ft) at mid-span
|design=[[arch bridge|Single-Arch]]
|mainspan=503 metres (1,650 ft)
|length=1149 metres (3,770 ft)
|width=49 metres (161 ft)
|height=139 metres (456 ft}
}}

The '''Sydney Harbour Bridge''' is a [[steel arch bridge]] across [[Sydney Harbour]] that carries rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the [[Sydney central business district]] (CBD) and the [[North Shore (Sydney)|North Shore]]. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby [[Sydney Opera House]] is an iconic image of both [[Sydney]] and [[Australia]]. The [[bridge]] is locally nicknamed '''The Coathanger'''<ref name="7bwh">{{cite web | title=7BridgesWalk.com.au | work=Bridge History | url=http://www.7bridgeswalk.com.au/pages/bridge-history.php#sydharbourbridge | accessdaymonth=23 October | accessyear=2006}}</ref> because of its arch-based design, although this usage is less prevalent than it once was.
The bridge was designed and built by Dorman Long and Co Ltd, [[Middlesbrough]], Teesside and was the city's tallest structure until 1967.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} According to [[Guinness World Records]], it is the world's widest long-span bridge<ref>Guinness World Records (2004): [http://web.archive.org/web/20060721173441/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=49813|Guinness World Records — Widest long-span Bridge] Archive copy from [[Internet Archive]] Wayback machine - <small>note web page discontinued after July 2006</small></ref> and its tallest steel arch bridge, measuring 134 metres (429.6 ft) from top to water level.{{Fact|date=April 2008}}<!--2005 Guiness World Records does not mention the fact (pages 122- 123). The web site cited (7BridgesWalk) no longer includes the assertion--> It is also the [[List of the largest arch bridges|fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge]] in the world.

==Structure==
[[Image:Underthebridge.JPG|thumb|upright|6,000,000 rivets were used in the construction of the bridge]]
The bridge's ends are located at [[Millers Point]] (in Sydney's [[The Rocks|Rocks]] area) and [[Milsons Point, New South Wales|Milsons Point]] (in Sydney's lower [[North Shore (Sydney)|North Shore]] area). It carries six lanes of road traffic on its main roadway, two lanes of road traffic (formerly two tram tracks) and a footpath on its eastern side, and two railway tracks and a bicycle path along its western side, being 305 mm (1 ft) larger than the east side.

The road across the bridge is known as the Bradfield Highway, Sydney, and is about 2.4&nbsp;km (1.5 [[mile]]s) long, making it one of the shortest highways in Australia. (The shortest, also called the Bradfield Highway, is found on the [[Story Bridge, Brisbane|Story Bridge]] in [[Brisbane]]).

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is not completely stationary. It can rise or fall up to 18cm depending on whether it is hot or cold.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.skwirk.com.au/p-c_s-14_u-309_t-763_c-2866/the-construction-of-the-sydney-harbour-bridge/nsw/history/investigating-history/take-a-good-look |title = The construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge|work = Year 9 NSW//History//Investigating History |publisher = Red Apple Education Ltd|year = 2008|accessdate = 2008-05-27}}</ref>

===Deck===
At 48.8&nbsp;m (151.3 ft) wide, it is the widest long-span bridge in the world (Guinness World Records, 2004).

The bridge deck portion of the highway is 1.15&nbsp;km (0.71 miles) long. It is concrete and lies on trimmers (beams that run along the length of the bridge). The trimmers themselves rest on steel beams that run along the width of the bridge. The trimmers and beams are visible to boats and people that pass underneath the bridge.

===Arch===
The arch is composed of two 28-[[panel]] arch trusses. Their heights vary from 18&nbsp;m (55.8 ft) at the center of the arch to 57&nbsp;m (176.7 ft) (beside the pylons).

The arch span is 503&nbsp;m and the weight of the steel arch is 39,000 tons<!--metric or short ton? -->. The arch's summit is 134&nbsp;m (440 ft) above mean sea level, though it can increase by as much as 180&nbsp;mm (7&nbsp;in) on hot days as the result of steel expanding in heat. Two large metal hinges at the base of the bridge accommodate these expansions and contractions and thereby prevent the arch from being damaged. About 79% of the steel came from [[Middlesbrough]], in the North East of [[England]]. The rest was Australian-made. The granite used was quarried in [[Moruya]], [[New South Wales]], the concrete used was also Australian made.

The total weight of the bridge is 52,800 tonnes, and six million hand-driven [[rivet]]s hold the bridge together. The rivets were made at the [[Park Bridge]] Ironworks in [[Lancashire]] [[England]].

[[Image:Bridge pylonsydharbour.jpg|thumb|upright|The Milsons Point pylon]]

===Pylons===
The two pairs of pylons at each end are about 89&nbsp;m (276 ft) high and are made of concrete and granite. The granite was quarried at [[Moruya, New South Wales]], 250 km south of Sydney.

Abutments, which support the ends of the bridge, are contained at the base of the pylons. They prevent the bridge from stretching or compressing due to temperature variations. Otherwise, the pylons serve no structural purpose and are primarily to visually balance the bridge itself. They were never an essential part of the design but were added to allay concerns about structural integrity.<ref>{{cite book|last = Lalor|first = Peter|title = The bridge|page = page 142| publisher = Allen & Unwin||origyear= 2005|year = 2006| id = ISBN 978 1 74175 027 0 (pbk)}}</ref>

Although inserted into the design for their aesthetic value, all four pylons have now been put to use: a museum and tourist centre with a lookout of the harbour is contained in the south eastern pylon. The south western pylon is used by the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) as a base for their [[Closed-circuit television|CCTV]] cameras overlooking the bridge and the roads around that area. The two pylons on the north shore are now venting chimneys for fumes from the [[Sydney Harbour Tunnel]]. The RTA maintenance shed for the bridge is contained within the bottom of the southern pylon and the traffic management shed (tow trucks and safety vehicles used on the bridge) is contained in the bottom of the northern pylon.

==History==
<blockquote class="toccolours" style="text-align:left; width:30%; float:right; padding: 10px 15px 10px 15px; display:table;">''"There the proud arch Colossus like bestride<br/>
:''Yon glittering streams and bound the strafing tide" ''<p style="text-align: right;"> — <small>Prophetic observation of Sydney Cove by [[Erasmus Darwin]]</small>.<ref>from his poem 'Visit of Hope to Sydney Cove, near Botany Bay' (1789)</ref></blockquote>
===Early proposals===
There had been plans to build a bridge as early as 1815, when [[Francis Greenway]] proposed that a bridge be built across the harbour. Nothing came of this.

The building of the current bridge can be said to have started in 1890, when a royal commission determined that there was a heavy level of ferry traffic in the Sydney Harbour area, best relieved with the construction of a bridge. Vehicular access to the north shore was undertaken with a series of smaller bridges located further westwards in the harbour, but this was insufficient for the traffic in the Sydney/North Sydney area.

===Planning===
Designs and proposals were requested in 1900, but a formal proposal was not accepted until 1911. In 1912, [[John Bradfield (engineer)|John Bradfield]] was appointed chief engineer of the bridge project, which also had to include a railway. After travelling extensively to look at a number of bridges worldwide, he based his idea upon [[New York City]]'s [[Hell Gate Bridge]]. Bradfield completed a formal design for a single arch bridge in 1916, but plans to implement the design were postponed until 1922, primarily because of [[World War I]].
[[Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge from the air.JPG|thumb|left|Sydney Harbour from the air, showing the Opera House, the CBD, Darling Harbour, the Bridge, the Parramatta River, North Sydney and Kirribilli in the foreground]]
In November 1922 the [[Parliament of New South Wales|New South Wales parliament]] passed laws that allowed the bridge's construction. Construction tenders for the bridge were requested the same year, and the British firm [[Dorman Long]] and Co Ltd, [[Middlesbrough]] won. To offset concerns about a foreign firm participating in the project, assurances were given by Bradfield that the workforce building the bridge would all be Australians. The building of the bridge coincided with the construction of a system of [[Sydney underground railways|underground railways]] in Sydney's [[Central business district|CBD]], known today as the [[City Circle]], and the bridge was designed with this in mind. The bridge was designed to carry six lanes of road traffic, flanked by two railway tracks and a footpath on each side. Both sets of rail tracks were linked into the underground [[Wynyard railway station, Sydney|Wynyard railway station]], on the south side of the bridge, by symmetrical ramps and tunnels. The eastern-side railway tracks were intended for use by a planned rail link to the [[Northern Beaches (Sydney)|Northern Beaches]]; in the interim they were to be used to carry [[trams]] from the North Shore into a terminal within Wynyard station.

Serious initiatives started after the end of World War I. Tenders were called for in 1923 either an arch or a cantilever bridge would meet the requirements. Dr J.J.C. Bradfield was responsible for setting the parameters of the tendering process. He and his staff were to ultimately oversee the entire bridge design and building process. The Bradfield Highway, which is the paved section of the bridge and its approaches, still bears his name to this day.

The tender of [[Dorman Long|Dorman Long and Co. Ltd.]], of [[Middlesbrough]], England for an arch bridge was accepted. The Dorman Long and Co's Consulting Engineer, Sir Ralph Freeman, carried out the detailed design of the bridge. The design was similar to New York's Hell Gate Bridge built in 1916. The Hell Gate Bridge was a little shorter in span but was much lighter in construction as it only carried four railway tracks.

The design was also similar to that of the earlier [[Tyne Bridge]] in [[Newcastle Upon Tyne]] in [[England]].

===Construction===
[[Image:The bridge in curve 1926.jpg|thumb|The Bridge in Curve|right|The arch being constructed. Painting by [[Grace Cossington Smith]] (1926).]]

The construction project itself began in 1923, with the demolition of 800 homes and a high school campus. The owners of these homes received compensation, but their occupants did not.

The building of the bridge was under the management of Bradfield. Three other people were involved in the bridge's design and construction: [[Laurence Ennis]], the engineer-in-charge at [[Dorman Long]] and Co was the main supervisor (Bradfield visited occasionally throughout the project, and in particular at the many key stages of the project, to inspect progress and make managerial decisions); [[Edward Judge]] was Chief Technical Engineer of Dorman Long and later became President of the [[British Iron and Steel Federation]]; Sir [[Ralph Freeman]] was hired by the company to design the accepted model in further detail. Later a bitter disagreement broke out between Bradfield and Freeman as to who actually designed the bridge. Another name connected with the bridge's design is that of [[Arthur Plunkett]].

The official ceremony to mark the "Turning of the First Sod" occurred on [[28 July]] [[1923]]. This was followed by the building of two worksheds at Milsons Point to assist in building the bridge — the light and heavy workshops. Their purpose was to build the bridge's many parts.
[[Image:HMAS Canberra sailing into Sydney Harbour in 1930.jpg|thumb|left|[[HMAS Canberra (1927)]] sailing under the completed arch in 1930 from which the deck is being suspended.]]
In January 1925, the excavations to build the abutments and approach spans began. In October 1925, the building of the abutments and approach spans themselves began, and these were completed in September 1928. Construction of the bridge itself began in December 1928, with the construction of the bridge parts in the workshops.

Construction of the arch of the bridge began in 1929, with two separate teams building the arch on each side using creeper cranes. The first panel was erected on the southern side in March 1929. The southern end of the bridge was worked on a month ahead of the northern end, in order to detect any errors and to ensure that they did not happen on the northern side.
[[Image:Shoreview1931.jpg|thumb|The bridge nearing completion in 1931 including the construction of the decorative pylons.]]
During construction the two halves of the arch were held up by numerous support cables. Once the arch halves were completed the cables were slowly released to bring the two halves of the arch together. This was finalised on the afternoon of [[19 August]] [[1930]]. Ennis and four associates personally witnessed this whilst standing on top of the bridge. Following a parting that occurred due to the contracting of metal in the evening, the ends were rejoined at 10 pm, and have remained joined since then. The support cables were then surplus to the design and removed. They were subsequently used to provide the support cables for the [[Walter Taylor Bridge]], over the [[Brisbane River]] in the western suburbs of [[Brisbane]], [[Queensland]].

The road and the two sets of tram and railway tracks were completed in 1931. Power and telephone lines, and water, gas and drainage pipes were also all added to the bridge in that year. On [[19 January]] [[1932]], the first test train, a steam locomotive, safely crossed the bridge. About 90 others also crossed the bridge in the months that followed as part of a series of tests to ensure the bridge's safety.

The construction worksheds were demolished after the bridge was completed, and the land that they were on is now occupied by [[Luna Park Sydney|Luna Park]] and the [[North Sydney Swimming Pool]].

The standards of industrial safety during construction were poor by today's standards. Sixteen workers died during construction,<ref name="7bwh4">{{cite web | title=AtlasDirect news | work=Harbour Bridge | url=http://www.atlasdirect.net/news/Destination%20news/Harbour%20Bridge%20celebrates%2075th%20anniversary.aspx | accessdaymonth=17 May | accessyear=2007}}</ref> but surprisingly only two from falling off the bridge. Several more were injured from unsafe working practices undertaken whilst heating and constructing its rivets, and deafness experienced by many of the workers in later years was blamed on the project.

The total financial cost of the bridge was $10 million (double the original quote). This was not paid off in full until 1988.

===Opening===
[[Image:De Groot cutting the ribbon.jpg|thumb|right|De Groot declares the Bridge open]]

The bridge was formally opened on [[19 March]] [[1932]]. Amongst those who attended and gave speeches were the State Governor, [[Philip Game|Sir Philip Game]], the Minister for Public Works, and Ennis. The Premier of NSW, [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] politician [[Jack Lang (Australia)|Jack Lang]], was to open the bridge by cutting a ribbon at its southern end.

However, just as he was about to do so, a man in military uniform moved forward on horseback and slashed the ribbon with a sword, declaring the bridge open ''"in the name of [[George V of the United Kingdom|His Majesty the King]] and all the decent citizens of NSW."''{{Fact|date=March 2008}} He was promptly arrested. The ribbon was hurriedly retied and Lang performed the official opening ceremony. After he did so, there was a 21-gun salute and a [[RAAF]] [[flypast]]. The intruder was identified as [[Francis de Groot]]. He was convicted of offensive behaviour (he was fined £5) after a psychiatric test proved he was sane. He was a member of a right-wing paramilitary group called the [[New Guard]], opposed to Lang's leftist policies and resentful the fact that King George V hadn't been asked to open the bridge. De Groot was not a member of the regular Army but his uniform allowed him to blend in with the real cavalry. This incident was one of several that Lang had with the New Guard in that year.

A similar ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge's northern side by North Sydney's mayor, Alderman Primrose, was carried out without incident. It was later discovered that Primrose was also a New Guard member, but his role in and knowledge of the de Groot incident, if any, are unclear.

A message from a primary school in Tottenham, 340 miles (550&nbsp;km) away in rural NSW, arrived at the bridge on the day and was presented at the opening ceremony. It had been carried all the way from Tottenham to the bridge by relays of school children, with the final relay being run by two children from the nearby [[Fort Street High School|Fort Street Boys' and Girls' schools]].
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Bridge opening official booklet.jpg|thumb|right|A picture from a Commemorative brochure]] -->
Other features of the opening ceremony included a vast display of floats and marching bands — one quite remarkable by Depression standards. The public was allowed to walk on the highway.

There had been numerous preparatory arrangements. On [[14 March]] [[1932]], three postage stamps were issued to commemorate the imminent opening of the bridge. One of these stamps, with a face value of five shillings, is worth several hundred dollars today.

Several songs were also composed in advance for the occasion. These have now been largely lost or forgotten.

The bridge itself was regarded as a triumph over Depression times, earning the nickname "the [[Iron Lung]]", as it kept many Depression-era workers employed.

The bridge has been the site of 40 suicides, many of which took place within months of the bridge's opening, during the [[Great Depression]].{{Fact|date=April 2008}}

==Operations==
===Road===
From the Sydney CBD side, motor vehicle access to the bridge is normally via Grosvenor Street, Clarence Street, Kent Street, the [[Cahill Expressway]], or the Western Distributor. Drivers on the northern side will find themselves on the [[Warringah Freeway]], though it is easy to turn off the freeway to drive westwards into [[North Sydney, New South Wales|North Sydney]] or eastwards to Neutral Bay and beyond upon arrival on the northern side.

The Bridge originally only had four wider traffic lanes occupying the central space which now has six, as photos taken soon after the opening clearly show. The width of the lanes now is so small that buses passing each other in adjacent lanes do so a few inches apart.

In 1958, tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. Lanes 7 and 8 now connect the bridge to the elevated Cahill Expressway that carries traffic to the Eastern Distributor.

In 1988, work began to build a tunnel to complement the bridge. It was determined that the bridge could no longer support the increased traffic flow of the 1980s. The [[Sydney Harbour Tunnel]] was completed in August 1992. It is intended only for use by motor vehicles. Before it was officially opened for use, the tunnel was made open for pedestrian access, with people on that day able to walk down the tunnel's roadway.

The Bradfield Highway is designated as a [[Stock route|Travelling Stock Route]] which means that it is permissible to herd livestock across the bridge, but between midnight and dawn, and after giving notice of intention to do so. In practice, due to the high density urban nature of modern Sydney, and the relocation of abattoirs and markets, such an event has not taken place for approximately half a century.

===Tidal flow===

[[Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge lane markers.jpg|thumbnail|right|Southern approach to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, showing the overhead lane marker gantries]]
The bridge is equipped for [[Reversible lane|tidal flow operation]], permitting the direction of traffic flow on the bridge to be altered to better suit the morning and evening rush hours traffic patterns.

The bridge has eight lanes in total, numbered one through eight from west to east. Lanes three, four and five are reversible. One and two always flow north. Six, seven and eight always flow south. The default is four each way. For the morning rush hour, the lane changes on the bridge also require changes to the [[Warringah Freeway]], with its inner western reversible carriageway directing traffic to the bridge lane numbers three and four southbound.

The bridge has a series of overhead gantries which indicate the direction of flow for each traffic lane. A green arrow pointing down to a traffic lane means the lane is open. A flashing red 'X' indicates the lane is closing, but is not yet in use for traffic travelling in the other direction. A red 'X' means the lane is in use for oncoming traffic. This arrangement was introduced in the 1990s, replacing a slow operation where lane markers were manually moved to mark the centre median.

It is possible to see odd arrangements of flow during night periods when maintenance occurs, which may involve completely closing some lanes. Normally this is done between midnight and dawn, due to the enormous traffic demands placed on the bridge outside these hours.

===Tolls===
[[Image:Sydney Misty Evening filtered.jpg|thumb|Misty evening in the early 1980s]]

There is currently a toll of $3.00 for all vehicles headed into the CBD (southbound). There is no toll for northbound traffic (though taxis traveling north may charge passengers the toll in anticipation of the toll the taxi must pay on the return journey). There are toll plazas at the northern and southern ends. The two eastern lanes (which continue over the [[Cahill Expressway]] at the southern end of the bridge) have their tollbooths at the northern end, while the other southbound lanes (for CBD traffic) are serviced by tollbooths at the southern end of the bridge. There is a bridge-long median strip between lanes 6 and 7 to separate traffic which has already paid the toll (at the northern end) from other southbound traffic (which must pay the toll at the southern end).

The toll was originally placed on travel across the bridge, in both directions, to recoup the cost of its construction. This cost was recovered in the 1980s, but the toll has been kept (indeed increased) by the [[Government of New South Wales|State Government's]] main roads infrastructure department (the [[Roads and Traffic Authority|RTA]]) to recoup the costs of the [[Sydney Harbour Tunnel]].

After the decision to build the [[Sydney Harbour Tunnel]] was made in the early 1980s, the toll was increased (from 20 cents to $1, then to $1.50, and finally to $2 by the time the Tunnel opened) to pay for its construction. The Tunnel also had an initial toll of $2 southbound. After the increase to $1, the concrete barrier on the Bridge separating the Bradfield Highway from the Cahill Expressway was increased in height, because of the large numbers of drivers crossing it illegally from lane 6 to 7, in order to avoid the toll. The Toll for all southbound vehicles was increased to $3 in March 2004.

Originally it cost a car or motorcycle six pence to cross, a horse and rider being three pence. Use of the bridge by bicycle riders (provided that they use the cycleway) and pedestrians is free. Later governments capped the fee for motorcycles was capped at one-quarter of the passenger vehicle cost, but is once again the same as the cost for a passenger vehicle.

In July 2008, new electronic tolling will be introduced and will eventually replace all booths with E-Tag lanes.<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/07/02/2291573.htm?section=justin</ref>

===Pedestrians===
[[Image:Harbour bridge stairs.jpg|thumb|300px|Pedestrian access at Milsons Point]]

Pedestrian access from the northern side involves climbing an easily-spotted flight of stairs at Milsons Point. Pedestrian access on the southern side is more complicated, but signposts in the Rocks area now direct pedestrians to the long and sheltered flight of stairs that leads to the bridge's southern end. These stairs are located near Gloucester Street and Cumberland Street in the [[Sydney Rocks]] area.

The bridge can also be accessed from the south by getting on Cahill Walk, which runs along the [[Cahill Expressway]]. Pedestrians can access this walkway from Circular Quay by a flight of stairs, or a lift, alternately it can be accessed from the Botanical Gardens.

===Rail===
The bridge lies between [[Milsons Point railway station, Sydney|Milsons Point]] and [[Wynyard railway station, Sydney|Wynyard]] railway stations, located on the north and south shores respectively, with two train lines running along the western side of the bridge. Milson's Point station is part of the [[North Shore line, Sydney|North Shore line]].

In 1958, tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks they had used were removed and replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. The original ramp that took the trams into their terminus in the underground [[Wynyard railway station, Sydney|Wynyard railway station]] is still visible at the southern end of the main walkway under lanes 7 and 8 although the tunnels have been sealed off.
[[Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge DSC01595.JPG|thumb|Maintenance crew painting the bridge]]

===Maintenance===
In 2006, the first complete repainting for many years commenced. A reason for the decision was the concern that weight of the many layers of paint acquired over the years might be having a destructive effect on the bridge's structure. Because of the previous regime of continuous maintenance painting with lead-based paint, precautions had to be taken to prevent falling paint from contaminating the harbour. This required that each section being painted be sealed off and blasted to remove old paint, then extracted by [[vacuum]].

==Tourism==
[[Image:sydney harbour bridge bridgeclimb.JPG|thumb|left|BridgeClimb participants]]

The South-east pylon for many years operated as lookout and [[Tourism in Sydney|tourist attraction for Sydney]], containing a number of telescopes and antiquated arcade games which operated on pennies, long after that currency had gone out of operation. The couple that ran this tourist venue also kept a number of white cats which gave the interior of the pylon a memorable odour. The pylon has recently been renovated and returned to its tourist function.<ref>Pylon Lookout, [http://www.pylonlookout.com.au/]</ref>

Since 1998, BridgeClimb<ref name="autogenerated1">BridgeClimb, [http://www.bridgeclimb.com/]</ref> has made it possible for tourists to climb the southern half of the bridge. Tours run throughout the day, from dawn to dusk and are only cancelled for electrical storms or high wind. Night climbs are also available. Groups of climbers are provided with protective clothing appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions and are given an orientation before climbing. During the climb, attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. Each climb begins on the eastern side of the bridge and ascends to the top. At the summit, the group crosses to the western side of the arch for the descent. Each climb is a three-and-a-half-hour experience.

In December 2006, BridgeClimb<ref name="autogenerated1" /> launched an alternative to climbing the upper arches of the bridge. The Discovery Climb allows climbers to ascend the lower chord of the bridge and view its internal structure. From the apex of the lower chord, climbers ascend a massive staircase to a platform at the summit.

The cost for the climbing excursion is $179-295 AUS and there are some restrictions in place. Visitors are not allowed to bring their own cameras or any other personal gear with each person even being required to go through a metal detector and take an alcohol-breath test, however the authority in charge takes photos which are available to those who climb it.

==Celebrations==
Since the opening, the bridge has been the focal point of much tourism and national pride. In 1982, the bridge celebrated the 50th anniversary of its opening. Once again, the bridge was closed to vehicles and pedestrians allowed full access for the day. The celebrations were attended by Edward Judge, who represented Dorman Long.

Australia's bicentennial celebrations on [[26 January]] [[1988]] attracted large crowds in the bridge's vicinity as merrymakers flocked to the foreshores in order to view the events on the Harbour. The highlight was the biggest parade of sail ever held in Sydney, with square-riggers from all over the world, surrounded by hundreds of smaller craft of every description, passing majestically under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The day's festivities culminated in a fireworks display in which the bridge was the focal point of the finale, with fireworks streaming from the arch and roadway. This was to become the pattern for later firework displays.

During the [[millennium]] celebrations in 2000, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with the word "[[Eternity (graffito)|Eternity]]", as a tribute to the legacy of [[Arthur Stace]] a Sydney artist who for many years inscribed that word on pavements in chalk in beautiful Copperplate writing.
[[Image:Olympic fireworks.jpg|thumb|right|The Olympic fireworks in 2000]]

In May 2000 the bridge was closed to vehicular access for a day to allow a special reconciliation march — the "Walk for Reconciliation" — to take place. This was part of a response to an Aboriginal [[Stolen Generation]] inquiry, which found widespread suffering had taken place amongst [[Australian Aborigine|Australian Aboriginal]] children forcibly placed into the care of white parents in a little-publicised state government scheme. A large number of Australians walked the bridge in a symbolic gesture of crossing a divide.

During the [[2000 Summer Olympics|Sydney 2000 Olympics]] in September and October 2000, the bridge was adorned with the Olympic Rings. It was included in the Olympic torch's route to the Olympic stadium. The men's and women's Olympic [[marathon (sport)|marathon]] events likewise included the bridge as part of their route to the Olympic stadium. A massive fireworks display at the end of the closing ceremony ended at the bridge. The East-facing side of the bridge has been used several times since as a framework from which to hang static [[fireworks]], especially during the elaborate [[New Year's Eve]] displays.

In 2005 Mark Webber drove a Williams-BMW Formula One Car across the bridge.
[[Image:SHB75.jpg|thumb|upright|Walkers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge's 75th Anniversary with LED caps]]

===75th anniversary===
In 2007, the 75th anniversary of its opening was commemorated with an exhibition at the [[Museum of Sydney]], called "Bridging Sydney" [http://www.hht.net.au/bridgingsydney]. An initiative of the [[Historic Houses Trust, New South Wales|Historic Houses Trust]], the exhibition features dramatic photographs and paintings with rare and previously unseen alternative bridge and tunnel proposals, plans and sketches.

On [[18 March]] [[2007]], the Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary. The occasion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the [[Governor of New South Wales]], [[Marie Bashir]] and the Premier of NSW, [[Morris Iemma]]. The bridge was subsequently open to the public to walk southbound from [[Milsons Point, New South Wales|Milsons Point]] or [[North Sydney]]. Several major roads, mainly in the CBD were closed for the day. An [[Australian Aborigines|Aboriginal]] [[smoking ceremony]] was held at 7pm.

Approximately 250,000 people (50,000 more than were registered) took part in the event. Bright yellow souvenir caps were distributed to walkers. A series of speakers placed at intervals along the bridge formed a [[sound installation]]. Each group of speakers broadcast sound and music from a particular era (eg. [[King Edward VIII]]'s abdication speech; [[Gough Whitlam]] speech at [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] in [[Constitutional crisis of 1975|1975]]), the overall effect being that the soundscape would "flow" through history as walkers proceeded along the bridge. A light show began after sunset and continued late into the night, where the bridge was bathed in constantly-changing, multi-coloured lighting, designed to highlight structural features of the bridge. In the evening the bright green caps were replaced by orange caps with a small, bright [[Light-emitting diode|LED]] attached. The bridge was closed to walkers at about 8:30 PM.

===New Year's "Bridge Effect"===
{{main|Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve Fireworks}}
As part of the fireworks display on [[New Year's Eve]] each year since 1998, the Sydney Harbour Bridge has what is referred to coloquially as the "Bridge Effect", in which a light display on a framework is used to complement the fireworks. As the scaffolding and framework are clearly visible for some weeks before the event, revealing the outline of the design, there is much speculating as to how the effect is to be realised.<!---"realised" means "made real", OK?---> The effects have been as follows:

* 1998-99 - [[Smiley face]] with hair.
* 1999-2000 - "[[Eternity (graffito)|Eternity]]" in [[Copperplate]] writing, in honour of [[Arthur Stace]]
* 2000-01 - [[Rainbow Serpent]] and [[Federation of Australia|Federation Star]].
* 2001-02 - [[Uluru]]
* 2002-03 - [[Peace|Dove of Peace]]
* 2003-04 - [[Light show]] <!---(not a rope lighting effect) So what then? Don't tell us what it wasn't. Tell us what it was! --->
* 2004-05 - [[Disco ball]] <!---(not a rope lighting effect)So what then? Don't tell us what it wasn't. Tell us what it was! --->
* 2005-06 - [[Heart (symbol)|Love Heart]] (3 concentric love hearts with lights behind the middle)
* 2006-07 - [[Coathanger]] and a [[diamond]] to celebrate the bridge's 75th anniversary or [[Diamond Jubilee]] in 2007.
* 2007-08 - An [[Hourglass]].

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:P3180120.JPG|Walkers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Image:View from car sydney harbour bridge.JPG|The Bradfield Highway from a car driving north across the bridge
Image:Sydney harbour bridge.jpg|Seen from the [[Sydney Rocks|Rocks]]. A climbing party is visible near the top
Image: Sydney_Harbour_Bridge_Circ_Quay.jpg|Sydney Harbour Bridge as viewed from east [[Circular Quay]]
Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge night.jpg|Sydney Harbour Bridge as viewed from [[Kirribilli]] on the North Shore
Image:SydneyHarbourBridgeNight.JPG|Sydney Harbour Bridge as viewed from the [[Sydney Opera House]]
Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge Top.jpg|The New South Wales and Australian flags respectively on top of the Harbour Bridge
Image:Walkers approaching the bridge from the North.jpg|Walkers approaching the bridge from the North
Image:Sydney Harbour Bridge 75th Anniversary sign.jpg|Sydney Harbour Bridge 75th Anniversary sign
</gallery></center>

== See also ==
* [[Story Bridge, Brisbane]] — The other major bridge designed by John Bradfield.
* [[List of arch bridges by length]]
* [[Sydney Harbour New Years Eve Fireworks]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

===Other sources===

* Four papers on the design and construction of the Bridge in volume 238 of the Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1935 Kinley

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Sydney Harbour Bridge}}
{{commonscat|Sydney Harbour Bridge}}
{{Wikinews|Commuter chaos in Sydney after wind damages lines on Harbour Bridge}}
{{commons|Sydney Architecture}}
{{Geolinks-AUS-suburbscale|long=151.210556|lat=-33.852222}}
* {{Structurae|id=s0000261|title=Sydney Harbour Bridge}}
* [http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/AboutSydney/HistoryAndArchives/SydneyHistory/HistoricBuildings/SydneyHarbourBridge.asp Sydney City Council]
* [http://www.bridgeclimb.com/ BridgeClimb]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/index/0,22045,5012637,00.html Sydney Harbour Bridge turns 75 - Feature from Daily Telegraph]
* [http://www.ourbridge.com.au/ 75th Anniversary Celebrations]

'''Webcams:'''
* [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/trafficreports/innersydcameras/harbourbridge.html Road Traffic Authority webcams]

'''Images:'''
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an10997079 Bridge during construction]
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3307575 Air views of the opening celebrations, [[19 March]] [[1932]]] / photographed by W. E. Searle
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an14156869 Buildings and roads around North Sydney and Sydney Harbour Bridge, 1958&ndash;1961] / Wolfgang Sievers
* [http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an23148082 Sydney Harbour Bridge during the Olympic Games, 19-[[26 September]] [[2000]]] / Loui Seselja

{{Road infrastructure in Sydney}}

{{Sydney landmarks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harbour Bridge}}
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1932]]
[[Category:Bridges in Sydney]]
[[Category:Guinness World Record holders]]
[[Category:Road-rail bridges]]
[[Category:Through arch bridges]]
[[Category:Toll roads in Australia]]
[[Category:Visitor attractions in Sydney]]

[[cs:Harbour Bridge]]
[[de:Sydney Harbour Bridge]]
[[es:Puente del puerto de Sídney]]
[[fa:پل بندرگاه سیدنی]]
[[fr:Harbour Bridge]]
[[ko:시드니 하버 브리지]]
[[id:Jembatan Sydney Harbour]]
[[it:Sydney Harbour Bridge]]
[[he:גשר נמל סידני]]
[[sw:Daraja la Bandari ya Sydney]]
[[lt:Sidnėjaus uosto tiltas]]
[[mk:Сиднејски пристанишен мост]]
[[nl:Sydney Harbour Bridge]]
[[ja:ハーバーブリッジ]]
[[pl:Sydney Harbour Bridge]]
[[pt:Ponte da Baía de Sydney]]
[[ru:Мост Харбор-Бридж (Сидней)]]
[[simple:Sydney Harbour Bridge]]
[[sk:Sydneyský prístavný most]]
[[sl:Sydneyjski pristaniški most]]
[[sr:Сиднејски мост]]
[[sv:Sydney Harbour Bridge]]
[[ta:சிட்னி துறைமுகப் பாலம்]]
[[vi:Cầu cảng Sydney]]
[[zh:雪梨港灣大橋]]

Revision as of 04:55, 30 July 2008

i think its in sydney

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