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Lang Lang River Bridge

Location

Melbourne side, Lang Lang Station,, LANG LANG VIC 3984 - Property No B6945

File Number

B6945

Level

State

[1/4]
B6945 Lang Lang River Bridge
[2/4]
B6945 Lang Lang River Bridge
[3/4]
B6945 Lang Lang River Trestle
[4/4]
B6945 Lang Lang River Trestle

Statement of Significance

What is significant? Lang Lang River Bridge was built in 1890 as part of the Great Southern Railway (South Gippsland Railway). It is a single track timber bridge. Originally of 47 spans, by 1906 it was reduced to 22 spans with earth embankments and it now has 19 spans with timber piers and a combination of transverse-timber decking and longitudinal-rail deck.
How is it significant? Lang Lang River Bridge is of historical and technical significance to the State of Victoria.
Why is it significant? Lang Lang River Bridge is of historical significance as it is by far the longest timber-trestle bridge surviving on the original Dandenong-Leongatha section of the Great Southern Railway. Lang Lang River Bridge is in the swamp section of that railway, which produced some of the most difficult engineering and construction problems ever faced by Victorian railway engineers.
Lang Lang River Bridge is of technical significance as construction elements from different periods of railways history can be found in this complex bridge. The current structure, with its unusually diverse range of timber-beam and rail-deck span lengths, illustrates the technical evolution in bridge construction since 1890, in response both to environmental changes and to traffic needs.
Lang Lang River Bridge is now a 19 span bridge with a unique range of standard Victorian Railways span lengths in the one structure: 12 of 3.3 m (11 feet), 3 of 4.5 m (15 feet), 1 of 5.4 m (18 feet), and 3 of 6 m (20 feet). The peculiar combination of 3.3 m rail-deck spans with timber-beam spans of 4.5, 5.4, and 6 m, is unlike anything elsewhere in the State. The timber piers are also very diverse, ranging from two to five piles, and varying timber-stay patterns, reflecting progressive upgrading of the structure. Piers are slightly skewed, and some main stream piers have rare stay piles.
Classified: 19/05/1998

Group