The original Murray Bridge, after which the town was named

Murray Bridge prior to opening

Road bridge (foreground) and railway bridge

Murray Bridge railway bridge (1925)

Murray Bridge Railway Tunnel

Murray Bridge, a town on the Murray River in SA, is the only town in Australia to be named after a bridge. Murray Bridge was previously known as Edwards Crossing where sheep and cattle were swum across the river prior to the building of the bridge. The construction of the Bridge was a crucial influence in the growth of the town of Murray Bridge, one of South Australia's important rural centres.

The Murray Bridge Road Bridge, which carries the old Princes Highway over the Murray River at the town of Murray Bridge, is a relatively early example of a large metal truss bridge. It is a through truss bridge, that is, the roadway is supported on the bottom chords of the trusses which stand up on either side of the roadway. Built in the period 1873-79 (fabrication of the river spans began in 1868), its superstructure consists of wrought iron half-through warren trusses with over-road latticed cross bracing for the river spans and half-through wrought lattice trusses for the approach spans. There are five river spans (35.9, 37.0, 38.9, 37.0, 35.9m) and twenty three approach spans of 18.3m each on the eastern side. The sum of the spans is about 605m. The Bridge stands between masonry abutments. Rail traffic used the Bridge from 1886 to 1925.
The bridge was the first crossing of the River Murray in South Australia, which provided an important link for road and rail to the eastern states, and it was this bridge which gave the town its name.
The railway working party reached Murray Bridge in 1884 with the first train arriving on 26th December, 1885. The railway line across the river was placed in the middle of the road bridge. The foundation stone was laid in November 1873, this was 2 years before tenders were called for the Echuca bridge. The bridge at Echuca in Victoria was completed in December 1878 and opened in the following March.
During construction of the bridge the super structure was strengthened to cater for the railway. By 1921 the bridge would carry up to 15 heavy goods trains per day.
The town of Murray Bridge became the main locomotive depot and administration centre between Adelaide and the Victorian Border with a large engine shed and turntable. The turntable is still in place opposite the grain silos.

The approaches to the railway bridge (left) and road bridge (right) stretch across the Murray River's flood plain

Murray Bridge Railway Bridge
Construction of the present railway bridge commenced in 1924 and was finished twelve months later. The Bridge was designed, manufactured and assembled in South Australia. It is the largest rail bridge still in use in South Australia and is able to take all the newest heavy locomotives. 
The third or eastern span is the longest of the 2 western spans, resulting in a different design to maintain the required strength. The longer span passes over the navigation channel - on the other side of the river to the wharf - to give clearance between passing traffic and steamers and barges unloading at the Murray Bridge Wharf.

Murray Bridge Railway Tunnel
The single track railway tunnel which brings the railway line from the railway bridge to the town's railway station is one of the few transport tunnels built in South Australia. Emerging towards the river near the Bridgeport Hotel, the tunnel was completed in 1925 and built by the cut and cover (open cut) method in which a trench is dug, the walls and roof are built after which the area above the tunnel is covered over. The old cutting nearby is where trains previously ran between 1886 and 1925 to cross the old bridge.

 
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