Journal Article

Pyrmont Bridge was built at the turn of the century and was a most outstanding bridge, featuring many innovative engineering features. The swing span was electrically powered at a time when Sydney had not yet adopted electric street lighting. The timber trusses in the superstructure were a highly developed design. At the time of its completion the bridge was said to be larger than any bridge in the UK, and had the largest and most up-to-date swing span in the world. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1981, but community pressure resulted in its inclusion in the Darling Harbour Project as a pedestrian bridge and as support for the monorail. The bridge was examined to determine the extent of deterioration, and restored using modern techniques to ensure an indefinite future life.