The Tasman Bridge was built between 1960 and 1964. It was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, in 1965.
In January 1975, the ore-carrier Lake Illawarra collided with one of the bridge’s support pillars, causing a section of it to collapse. Debris crashed onto the Illawarra‘s bow and caused her to sink to the bottom of the Derwent. Twelve people (seven of the Illawarra‘s crew and five commuters) were unfortunately killed.
It took two years and approximately $44 million (roughly $280 million in 2019 money) to rebuild the collapsed section. During the rebuilding, ferries transported Eastern Shore residents to Hobart so they could still go to work. The bridge was officially re-opened on 8th October 1977.
Exactly how was the collapsed section rebuilt? Watch the documentary film below to find out!
With regular maintenance, the bridge is expected to last for another 40-50 years.
Around 70,000 vehicles travelled over it every day in 2017.
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Tas That Was is a column that includes anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past, as well as historical photographs of locations in Tasmania.
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