From HighestBridges.com

Savage River Pipeline Bridge

Savage River, Tasmania, Australia

413 feet high / 129 meters high

1,440 foot span / 439 meter span

1967





The Savage River Pipeline suspension bridge is one of the largest of its type ever built with a main span of 1,000 feet (305 mtrs) as measured along the deck or 1,440 feet (439 mtrs) between anchorages. Built in a steep, V-shaped valley, the main cables are anchored directly into the rock face, requiring no suspension towers. The bridge is one of 5 river crossings on a 53 mile (85 km) journey that carries iron-ore slurry through a 9-inch (23 cm) thick pipe from the massive open pit mine at Savage River Mines to the pelletising plant at Port Latta on the Northwest coast of the island of Tasmania. The bridge may be as high as 450 feet (137 meters).

Constructed in 1967, more than 30 years of operation has resulted in pollution damage to more than 18 miles (30 kms) of the Savage River. A rehabilitation project commenced when the mines ownership was transferred from the original operator Pickands Mather to its current owner Australian Bulk Minerals. The mine is located in a mountainous region of Tasmania with dense forests and consistent rainfall.





750px

Savage River Pipeline Bridge Elevation



















The Savage River Pipeline Bridge crosses the river towards the center left of this aerial view.