Road Photos & Information: New South Wales
A8   Falcon Street, Military Road, Spit Road, Manly Road, Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation, Condamine Street & Pittwater Road (A8)

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Route Numbering:

General Information:

A8 is the major arterial road that links the northern beach side suburbs of Sydney to the North Sydney business precinct and eventually the Sydney CBD. The road is entirely multi-laned and divided for most of the route.

The current Spit Bridge comprises 7 spans of a total length of 745 feet 6 inches (227.28m), has 4 traffic lanes (44feet or 13.41m wide) and a pedestrian walkway of 5 feet (1.5m) on either side.

There are three spans at either end of the opening span. Each of the six fixed spans have four welded plate girders as the main members, with cross girders, but without stringers or horizontal bracing. The concrete deck is dowelled to the steelwork.The opening span (Span 4) is a single-leaf bascule. It has two main girders, with cross girders and stringers, covered by an open mesh steel deck. Recent inspection shows that the steel mesh has had a coating of bitumen applied, some of which is wearing.

The two footways are of concrete on the fixed spans, and steel on the bascule span. The piers either side of the opening span are flanked by fenders, and when the bridge is in the open position a navigation channel of 80 feet wide (24.4m) is created. At the Mosman end the slab and two column piers rest on concrete piles driven into to the sands of the harbour bed at a depth of between 40and 50 feet (12-15m). At the Manly end the harbour bottom slopes up steeply to outcropping rock on which the northern abutment sits. Piers5 and 6 are double cylinder piers sitting on bedrock below the harbour bed. The main pier which supports the bascule span is Pier 4. It rests on four cylinders taken down to sandstone bedrock at a depth of between 45 to 75 feet (14 - 23m) which is 75 to 105 feet (23 - 32m) below mean sea level. The pier is box-like and supports all machinery for the operation of the bascule, including the operator's cabin.

Condamine Street was named after Thomas de la Condamine, Aide-de-Camp to Governor Darling. 3

History:

Preview: Description:
Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign approaching Military Rd at Mosman, January 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign at Mosman, January 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

1 Roads and Maritime Services, Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads, August 2013
1 State Library of New South Wales
2 Manly City Council
3 Roads and Maritime Services

Last updated: 02-Jan-2019 19:33

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