Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge officially opened on March 19, 1932, after nearly nine years of construction that began in 1923. The opening ceremony was famously disrupted when Francis de Groot, a member of a right-wing paramilitary group, rode forward on horseback and slashed the ribbon with his sword before the premier of New South Wales could cut it.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge has a total length of approximately 1,149 meters (3,770 feet) with an arch span of 503 meters, and it is widely recognized as one of the widest long-span bridges in the world at about 49 meters across. It carries eight lanes of traffic, two railway lines, a pedestrian walkway, and a bicycle path.

Yes, BridgeClimb Sydney has offered guided climbs to the top of the bridge's arch since 1998, allowing visitors to walk along catwalks and ladders to a height of about 134 meters above Sydney Harbour. The experience takes approximately 2.5 to 3.5 hours, and climbers are equipped with safety harnesses that attach to a fixed cable throughout the climb.

The bridge was designed by British firm Dorman Long and Company, led by engineer Ralph Freeman, and constructed by the same firm between 1923 and 1932. The design was heavily inspired by the Hell Gate Bridge in New York City, which opened in 1916 and was also a steel through-arch bridge.