Erected in 1876 over the Gawler River on Heaslip Road, Angle Vale, this is a laminated timber deck arch bridge and one of only three remaining bridges of this type in Australia.

The Angle Vale bridge is constructed of sandstone abutments and wing walls, with four laminated timber arch ribs of 26 metres (85 ft) span, set in cast iron sockets and supporting a timber deck carrying a roadway 5 metres (18 ft) wide. Laminated timber arch bridges were constructed in Australia on British and American designs from 1853. However, very few survived due to the poor preservation properties of Australian timbers.

Tenders were called for erecting the Angle Vale Bridge, designed by Charles Francis Godfrey Ashwin C.E., Superintending Surveyor of the Northern District of the South Australia Central Road Board in February 1876.  Construction was by Messrs Hack and Parker with work being completed in less than nine months and opened on Wednesday 22 November 1876.

The bridge was bypassed in 1966, and deteriorated before an extensive restoration program carried out in 1988.

In 2008, its engineering heritage was recognised by the installation of a marker provided by the Engineers Australia’s Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.

Update:

Historic bridge collapses in Adelaide’s north
May 31, 2023
The 147-year-old Angle Vale Bridge – the last laminated timber arch bridge left in Australia – has collapsed into the Gawler River just days before inspection for a planned restoration. The heritage-listed bridge collapsed last Thursday, just days before a scheduled inspection by engineers. Light Regional Council mayor Bill O’Brien said the collapse “came as a bit of a shock to us when it came tumbling down and now we’re deeply concerned about its future”.

The full story in available on inDaily.com.au