Construction on the present steel vertical lift bridge across the Derwent began in 1939. Construction was interrupted by World War II; the bridge opened to road traffic in March 1942, with completion of the lifting segment finally completed in early 1946. The bridge opened to rail traffic in late 1946. It consists of a long concrete bridge that leads off the end of the causeway, and a steel lifting section just before the northern bank of the river. The lifting section is one of only a few remaining in the Southern Hemisphere, and is the largest of its kind remaining in Australia. The bridge was designed to last a century without replacement. A small control house stands on the lifting section. Inside are the switches and locks which operate the bridge.