Grafton Bridge

This guide to Grafton Bridge in Auckland traces the single concrete arch that opened in 1910, once claimed as the largest reinforced concrete arch bridge on earth, built under city engineer Walter Bush to link the city to its hospital. It follows what began happening on the bridge soon after it opened, the steel mesh barrier that quietly went up by the 1930s, and the decision decades later to strip it away for the sake of the arch's heritage look. Look at the tall curved glass screens running along the railing beside you as you listen.