John Whitton Bridge

John Whitton Bridge
John Whitton Bridge, looking south in September 2007
Coordinates	33°49′S 151°05′E / 33.82°S 151.09°E / -33.82; 151.09
Carries	Main Northern railway line
Crosses	Parramatta River
Locale	Meadowbank, New South Wales, Australia
Begins	Meadowbank (north)
Ends	Rhodes (south)
Named for	John Whitton
Owner	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Maintained by	Transport for NSW
Followed by	Meadowbank Bridge (former rail bridge)
Characteristics
Design	Box girder
Material	Steel
Pier construction	Concrete
No. of spans	5
Piers in water	4
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks	4
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
History
Construction start	1952
Construction end	1980
Opened	May 1980 (1980-05)
Replaces	Meadowbank Bridge (former rail bridge)
Location

The John Whitton Bridge is a railway bridge that carries the Main Northern railway line across the Parramatta River, located between the Sydney suburbs of Rhodes and Meadowbank.

The original double track Meadowbank Bridge opened on 17 September 1886 as part of the construction of the Main Northern railway line. It was a lattice truss bridge designed by John Whitton, the Chief Engineer of the New South Wales Government Railways.^[1] In 2000, the original bridge was refurbished and reopened for bike and pedestrian use.^[2]

As part of plans to quadruple the Main North line, construction commenced on a new bridge to the west of the existing structure. The concrete piers were completed in 1952, before the project was cancelled. Work resumed in the 1970s, with a two-track box girder bridge opening in May 1980. The piers were extended to allow for a further two tracks to be built in the future.^[1] The new bridge was named after John Whitton.

• List of bridges in Sydney
• List of railway bridges in New South Wales

• Media related to John Whitton Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
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