Tim the Yowie Man marks the 200th anniversary of the Hume and Hovell expedition by highlighting his favourite historic bridges on the old Hume Highway.
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00:00Today, with its locked farm gate at one end and its deck covered in sheep manure,
00:07it's hard to believe that this bridge was once one of the busiest on the Hume Highway.
00:14Located between Tarkatta and Gundagai, thousands of cars passed over this bridge
00:20between 1938 when it opened just before Christmas and when it closed in 1986.
00:28During this time, there are unfortunately many accidents on the approaches to the bridge
00:32and also, as you can see, it's so narrow that often cars lost side mirrors as they passed each other.
00:39As to its design, well it's one of only two reinforced concrete bowstring bridges built on NSW roads.
00:46The other is near Maclean in northern NSW.
00:49And this bridge here was cast in place using elaborate formwork before the advent of precast units.
00:57The deck is supported from the arch ribs by steel hangers encased in concrete.
01:04And in case you're wondering, yes, because of its design, it did earn the nickname
01:10The Little Sydney Harbour Bridge.
01:14Another hidden treasure along the Hume Highway.