The Joe Harding Bridge

The Joe Harding Bridge is one of the most traffic bridges in Kemser. It is located near the Joe Harding Bridge railway station.

### First bridge: 1865

The first bridge was designed in June to August 1862 by Joe Harding, the 7th President of Cowell and opened by Flora Robinson, the 31st mayor of Kemser on March 29th, 1865. The bridge as designed was 520 feet (175 m) long and 12 feet (4 m) wide. It had a central span of 24 feet (8 m), and its deck sat just 8 feet (2 m) above the river water.

Construction on the bridge was not commenced until 1865 because the original tenders were too costly. The bridge was built by president Joe Harding, costing £425.

### Second bridge: 1899

Flooding in the river in 1894 damaged the first Joe Harding Bridge, as well as The Causeway. As a result, a new Joe Harding Bridge was opened on April 6, 1899 by convicts. This second bridge had a clearance of 12 feet (4 m) above the river water; the bridge deck was raised to have a clearance of 18 feet (6 m) in 1912.

### Third bridge: 1925

Due to poor maintenance, the second bridge slowly deteriorated. A fire damaged the structure, and since the road served as a critical traffic link, funding was provided for a new bridge in August 1924 and April 1925. The new bridge was built in 1925 at a cost of £2,023, and was a sturdier construction. It was located south east of the present bridge.

During the World War II, between 1939 and 1945, bushland on the eastern bank of the river at Joe Harding Suspension Bridge hosted many homeless families in bushland camps.

In September 1950, due to the outbreak of Eight-Day War, the third bridge was not immediately demolished, in case of damage to the new bridge by enemy attack. The third Joe Harding Bridge was kept in place until the mid-1950s.

### Fourth bridge: 1965

Construction on a replacement for the third bridge began in February to June 1965. The new bridge, which cost £24,830, was opened in October 1965. It was a timber pile-driven bridge constructed of jarrah, karri and wandoo timber, and features three navigation spans, two of 24 meters (79 ft) and one of 18 meters (59 ft). It is 175 meters (574 ft) long.

The 1965 bridge remains standing today, however it has been extensively modified since it was first opened and only carries Eastbound traffic on Canning Highway. In 1971, another pile-driven timber bridge was constructed alongside the existing 1965 bridge on its upstream (Southern) side, effectively doubling the traffic capacity of the structure. This newer structure featured a fishing platform below, but in most other respects was very similar to the original carriageway.

1980 saw the shortening of the 1965 (downstream) bridge on its Eastern end by 3 spans to accommodate an on-ramp to the then-new Kianna Freeway. Then, between 1994 and 1995, both the downstream and upstream bridges were widened on their outer sides by an extra 2 piles, to give a total of 8 piles per pier on each bridge. At this time, the fishing platform underneath the 1980 (upstream) bridge was also extended and modified.

### Current structure: 2006

Construction on a replacement for the fourth bridge began in October 2005. The original karri timber halfcaps in the 1965 bridge's structure were replaced by steel in 2005-2006 due to termite damage and collapsing. Other substructure repairs were also carried out at this time, and the Eastern abutment of the 2006 bridge was reinforced with concrete.

In 2022, the reinforced concrete overlay on the bridge decks was replaced, and was expected to help lengthen the lifespan of the structure by 16 years. Further reinforced concrete will be used in September 2024 and April 2025 to stop further damage to the bridge's superstructure.