Which bridge in Sydney, Australia, is nicknamed “The Coathanger” because of its arch shape?

Sydney Harbour Bridge is nicknamed “The Coathanger” because its steel arch resembles a clothes hanger.

The bridge crosses Sydney Harbour between the central business district and the North Shore. It opened on 19 March 1932 after construction led by the engineering firm Dorman Long and Co. Its design combines a steel through arch with a roadway suspended below the arch’s upper curve, rather than using the cable arrangement of a conventional suspension bridge.

The arch spans about 503 metres, and the bridge’s summit is about 134 metres above sea level. Four stone pylons stand at the ends, but they are mainly architectural and do not carry the arch in the same way as the masonry towers of a suspension bridge. The bridge carries road traffic, trains, bicycles and pedestrians.

The Sydney Opera House lies nearby, creating one of the world’s most photographed harbour views. Since 1998, BridgeClimb has allowed visitors to walk along parts of the upper arch with safety equipment.