The Merivale Bridge is a double track railway bridge, crossing the Milton Reach of the Brisbane River between the Go Between Bridge and the William Jolly Bridge. Exclusively a railway crossing, it is located between the stations of South Brisbane and Roma Street, linking the northern and southern elements of the Queensland Rail City network. The Merivale Bridge is the only inner-city rail crossing in Brisbane. By 2016 it was expected to be over capacity, leading the Queensland Government to announce the Cross River Rail project.

The Merivale Bridge opened on 18 November 1978 by Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

It formed a more direct route into the city for Brisbane's southern system suburban trains than the existing route via Corinda. Since 1986 it also has carried the standard gauge line from New South Wales. It was designed by Cameron McNamara Pty Ltd (consulting engineers) and was fabricated and erected by Transfield.

The bridge has been recognised with a number of awards. In 1980 it was named the most outstanding engineering project from the Association of Consulting Engineers of Australia.

thumb|Construction of the Merivale Railway Bridge, Brisbane, 1979

This study was submitted to the Government in 1970. It recommended that the crossing should follow the route, as surveyed in 1890. The Queensland State Cabinet approved the bridge in October 1971. In 1975, a contract was let to Transfield for the construction of the bridge and the line into South Brisbane station. The first pile was driven on 21 August 1975.

The bridge was refurbished in 2016.

State Library of Queensland holds John Christsen Merivale Bridge collection which contains 370 chronological photographs of the construction of the bridge, as well as documents and research papers relating to the bridge

References

  • 31653 Merivale Bridge Cross River Rail Link opening photographs, State Library of Queensland