Hornibrook Highway Bridge

When you travel between Brisbane and Redcliffe on the Houghton Highway or the Ted Smout Bridge; note the fantastic Art Deco pylons of the original bridge across Bramble Bay. The Hornibrook Highway viaduct was built between 1932 and 1935 by the engineering firm M R Hornibrook. The company had recently completed the Grey Street Bridge, (later renamed the William Jolly Bridge) and would go on the build the Story Bridge at the end of the decade. Manuel Richard Hornibrook wanted to keep the engineering expertise in his firm during the early years of the Depression and approached the State Government with a plan for a toll bridge to Redcliffe. The entry portals at each end of the bridge, designed by architect John Beebe, were designed and built first, using concrete from the Darra Cement works. Timber was sourced from Mt Mee and the Conondale Ranges. When completed in September 1935, it was the longest road viaduct in the Southern Hemisphere. The bridge closed in 1979 when the Houghton Highway was completed and has gradually been dismantled due to safety concerns. Only a small part remains at the northern end, used mainly for fishing.