The Arch:
The arch began to be built in November, 1929.
Just the arch itself weighs 39,000 tons! It is 503 metres long.At its highest point, the arch is 134 metres above sea level.In August 20th 1930 the arch was finally finished.

How Much It Costs:
Lots of money was involved and the total cost of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was about $13.5 million and was all paid for by 1988.
The toll fee for a car used to be 6 pence. Today the fee for a car is $3.00. The money is used for the Sydney Harbour bridge to be maintained.

If you really like a good climb you are actually allowed to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge has become a big thing with the opening in 1998 of Bridge Climb, a company which lead climbing tours over the arch.
Sydney Harbour Bridge is not the longest bridge but it is the widest steel arch bridge.

The design:
Lots of people tried to get their design to win but in the end John Job Crew Bradfield won.

John Job Crew Bradfield:
The main design was made by John Job Crew Bradfield .He decided the colour of the Sydney harbour bridge by painting some steel with different paints, then put them outside to see which paint still looked its original colour.
He was a nice guy and came to watch the workers work on the bridge. But he ordered for 101,556 things to be remodeled!
He also built up a whole town!

Sailing Under The Bridge:
If you want to sail under the Sydney harbour bridge your ship can be up to 49 metres high!
My brother Andrew sailed (a rocket boat) under Sydney Harbour Bridge for his 4th birthday!

The Opening:
The bridge was officially opened on 1932 March 19th by Jack Lang.
But Jack Lang got beaten to cutting the ribbon because one of the guards quickly cut it with his sword.The guards name was Francis De Groot.

Short Facts About Sydney Harbour Bridge:
Sydney Harbour Bridge began to be built in December, 1926.It took 8 years to build the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is 1,149 metres long, 49 metres wide and 134 metres high.The weight how ever is 52,800 tons.
At new years eve they have fire works on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Sydney harbour bridge's foundations are set in 12 metres of sandstone.
It has eight lanes for road traffic, two railway tracks, a foot walk and a cycle lane.
The roads and railway tracks actually hang from the arch, 59 metres (194 feet)above sea level.
Sometimes there can be up to 15,000 vehicles cross the bridge in just one hour!
It takes 30,000 litres of paint to cover the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
It's sometimes called the coat hanger.
It took 1,300 men eight years to build it.

Comments from the web:

'There was nowhere to stand,' said Harry Tomrop 'We were hanging on by our eye lashes.'
'There were no safety rails or nets, no helmets all basic safety things that we now take for granted. There were no ear muffs, either, and most of the iron workers and boiler makers later suffered from hearing problems.
But the men seemed, if anything, proud to work without these soft luxuries, proud of their ability to monkey around on the steel.
Altogether there were 16 workers killed, only seven on the bridge itself.'

Links

Home
www.Sydney.com.au/bridge
www.bridgeclimb.com
www.gids.nl/Sydney/info
www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
www.Sydney.visitorsbureau.com.au
www.SydneyHarbour.htm
www.harbourbridge.com.au/
www.acn.net.au/articles/harbourbridge
www.australianexplorer.com/Sydney
www.australia.travelmall.com