The Sandridge Bridge is a historic railway bridge over the Yarra River in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about to be redeveloped in 2005 as a new pedestrian, cycle path and public space connecting a new Queensbridge Square at Southbank to the Flinders Walk on the north bank.

Constructed at a 33 degree angle to the river bank, the bridge provided a direct route from Flinders Street Station to Port Melbourne at Hobsons Bay on Port Phillip, which included the Port Melbourne and St Kilda railway lines . It was last used for freight in the 1950s, and passenger services closed in 1987, with the relacement by light rail lines of Melbourne tram route 96 to St. Kilda, and Melbourne tram route 109 to Port Melbourne.

The Sandridge Bridge is a registered Melbourne heritage site as a historic structure. It was built by David Munro in 1888, being one of the first railway structures in Melbourne to use steel girders rather than iron. The workforce included a young engineering student, John Monash. The bridge replaced two earlier railway bridges, erected in 1853 and 1859, for the Sandridge (now Port Melbourne) railway line.

The bridge is 178.4 metres long and is made up of five spans, measuring in length from the south bank to the north bank: 36.9m, 36.6m, 36.3m, 36.9m and 31.7m. The bridge is 17m wide and the girders are 2.74m high from the top to the bottom of the flange.

The Victorian Government in 2004 asked for public submissions on the redevelopment of the Sandridge Bridge. As a result, the Government has committed to developing a cycle and pedestrian link with potential for future public performance space on the bridge. Redevelopment of the bridge will add further options to Cycling in Melbourne and the Capital City Trail.

References

• Sandridge Bridge - Department of Sustainability and Environment