The Harbour Bridge is a metal arch-shaped bridge situated in the city of Sydney, Australia. It is the main point of crossing between the Central Business District (CBD) and the North Shore. It allows trains, automobiles and pedestrians to cross between the two areas. The site of the Bridge is quite close to the Opera House. The 75th anniversary of the deck was celebrated on the 18th of March 2007.

The Bridge remained the highest structure of the city until 1967 at 134 meters above the sea level. According to the Guinness World Record, it is the widest long-span bridge in the world (48.8 meters) and has the highest steel arc with the summit of the Bridge reaching 134 meters from its top to the water level below. It is also accredited to be the fourth longest spanning arch bridge in the world.

History of the Harbour Bridge

The Harbour Bridge was designed by the Australian engineer John Bradfield .

He wanted the Bridge to contain six lanes of traffic with two train rails on one side and two pathways on both sides. In this manner, most of the popular transportations used in Sydney could utilize the Bridge.

Today, climbing this iconic Sydney feature is a popular tourist activity. There are two guided tours which you can take to climb the bridge. Both options take 3 and 1/2 hours to do. One is called the "The Bridge Climb" and the other is called the "Discovery Climb."

If you would like to climb the bridge while in Sydney for WYD08, visit BridgeClimb Sydney, who are the Official Provider.