The West Gate bridge connects the centre of Melbourne with the western suburbs and the highway to my home town of Geelong.
The West Gate, or lack of it has been a main feature of my life. Before it was open, the only way to get into Melbourne city, or through it to the suburbs in the east, was a long, slow trip through the western suburbs and inner city suburbs. After it was built in the 1970s, I spent quite a lot of my time driving over it; and sitting in stationary traffic on it.
In October 1970, during the construction phase, one of the spans fell, killing 35 workers. There is a memorial park under the western end of the bridge to commemorate this tragic loss of life.
Recently a lot of maintenance work has been undertaken on the bridge to repair cracks and put up higher safety railings.
The West Gate can be a beautiful sight; it has the form of a long, sinuous curve and presents different aspects in different weather conditions.
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