Murray River road and railway bridge, Tocumwal

The Murray River road and railway bridge is a heritage-listed road and railway bridge that carries the Tocumwal railway line across the Murray River at Tocumwal in the Berrigan Shire local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as the Tocumwal Road and Rail Bridge over Murray River. The property is owned byRailCorp. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History
The bridge over the Murray River opened in 1895, and was constructed by the NSW Public Works Department. It has three spans, the centre span having an opening lift for navigation. Initially provided for road traffic only, it was strengthened for rail traffic in 1908, and was used for both road and rail traffic until November 1987. A concrete road bridge was provided for road traffic a short distance upstream, with the old bridge used for rail traffic only since that time.

When opened, monthly lifting of the centre span was carried out for testing purposes. When the bridge was made a rail/road bridge, the span was always kept down unless river traffic needed it. By 1930, river traffic declined, and so by 1944, the monthly lifting was altered to yearly. In 1951, it was proposed to keep the span closed, the last lift for river traffic being in 1933, and no maintenance lifting having been carried out for a decade. In September 1977, both state governments agreed to keep it fixed, and removed requirement for being able to lift it. Easter 1995 celebrations including operation of the lift span.

Heritage listing
The river bridge was a combined road and rail structure. It is of very high significance because of its technological value and its importance in the history of transport in the State and inter-state rivalries.

Tocumwal road and rail bridge over the Murray River was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as archaeologically rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.