Editing Story Bridge (section)

===Construction===
[[File:StateLibQld 1 115280 Brisbane River and Story Bridge, 1939.jpg|thumb|left|The bridge under construction.]]
Before the opening of the [[Sydney Harbour Bridge]] in 1932 the [[Government of Queensland]] asked [[John Bradfield (engineer)|John Bradfield]] to design a new bridge in [[Brisbane]].{{cn|date=August 2021}}

The Queensland Government appointed [[John Bradfield (engineer)|John Bradfield]] on 15 December 1933 as consulting engineer to the Bureau of Industry who were in charge of the construction of the bridge. In June 1934 Bradfield's recommendation of a steel cantilever bridge was approved. The design for the bridge was based heavily on that of the [[Jacques Cartier Bridge]] in [[Montreal]], completed in 1930.<ref name="thenandnow" /> On 30 April 1935 a consortium of two Queensland companies, [[Evans Deakin]] and [[Hornibrook Constructions]], won the tender with a bid of £1,150,000.<ref name="lhbris" /><ref name="moy">'Story Bridge: Idea to Icon' by Michael Moy, published Alpha Orion Press, Brisbane, 2005</ref>

[[File:Inspection of the Story Bridge.png|thumb|left|[[Governor of Queensland]] [[Leslie Orme Wilson|Sir Leslie Orme Wilson]] and consulting engineer Bradfield inspecting the bridge, 7 July 1938]]
Construction on the bridge began on 24 May 1935,<ref name="lhbris"/> with the first sod being turned by the then [[Premiers of Queensland|Premier of Queensland]], [[William Forgan Smith]]. Components for the bridge were fabricated in a purpose-built factory at [[Rocklea, Queensland|Rocklea]]. There are 1.25&nbsp;million rivets (metal pins or bolts) in the Story Bridge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au/your-brisbane-bridge-climb-questions-answered/|title=Your Brisbane Bridge Climb Questions Answered!|website=Story Bridge Adventure Climb|date=10 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304153456/https://storybridgeadventureclimb.com.au/your-brisbane-bridge-climb-questions-answered/|archive-date=4 March 2019|url-status=live|access-date=6 May 2019}}</ref> During its construction, work sometimes continued 24 hours per day.<ref name="pb"/> The bridge has only one pier on the northern bank but two piers on the lower southern bank, one to bear the weight (the main pier) and, further to the south, one to prevent the bridge from twisting (the anchor pier). There was no need for an anchor pier on the northern bank as the bridge was anchored into [[schist]] cliff face. The primary challenge in constructing the bridge was the southern foundations that went {{convert|40|m}} below ground level. It was not possible to excavate to that level as water from the river would rapidly seep in. So a pneumatic [[Caisson (engineering)|caisson]] technique had to be used. As men were working under pressures of up to 4 times normal air pressure, a decompression period of almost 2 hours was needed at the end of each shift to avoid the [[Decompression sickness|bends]]. An on-site air lock hospital successfully treated the 65 cases of the bends that occurred.<ref name=moy/> On 28 October 1939 the gap between the two sides was closed.<ref name="lhbris"/> A concrete decking was then laid, covered by a Trinidad pitch topping. The bridge was painted and sodium lighting was installed. The bridge approaches were also prepared.<ref name=moy/>

Three men died during the construction of the bridge.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40948299|title=Bridge Cost Three Men Their Lives|date=29 June 1940|issue=2129|location=Brisbane|page=18|via=National Library of Australia|newspaper=[[The Courier-Mail]]|access-date=8 June 2017}}</ref> On 22 November 1937, Hans James Zimmerman slipped and fell {{convert|75|ft}} to the ground.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124595787|title=First Story Bridge Fatality |date=23 November 1937|newspaper=[[Queensland Times]]|access-date=3 August 2017|issue=15,915|volume=LXXVIII |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> On 7 February 1939, Alfred William Jackson fell from the bridge into the river. Although pulled from the water alive, he died 4 hours later in hospital without regaining consciousness.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70845883|title=Carpenter Falls From Story Bridge |date=9 February 1939|newspaper=[[The Central Queensland Herald]]|access-date=3 August 2017|issue=477|volume=10 |page=41|via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> On 6 December 1939, Arthur McKay (Max) Wharton was hit by a piece of equipment on a nerve that made him faint, falling from the bridge to the water; 18 months earlier Wharton saved another worker from falling from the bridge.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article184753681|title=100 ft. Death Fall From New Bridge|date=6 December 1939|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (Brisbane)|The Telegraph]]|access-date=3 August 2017|location=Brisbane|page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Construction of a new underpass was begun on the southside in 2023 to facilitate access to the [[Kangaroo Point Green Bridge]].<ref name="nwt"/> In 2025 it was revealed the bridge was at risk of collapse and may need to be tolled to fund restoration works. Footpaths have been closed indefinitely and the bridge is at risk of demolition.  [[File:Brisbane City Skyline.jpg|thumb|center|949x949px|Panorama showing the location of the Story Bridge (left) relative to the Brisbane CBD.]]