▁in ▁the ▁early ▁wave ▁of ▁major ▁new ▁infrastr ucture ▁fund ed ▁by ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁gold ▁r ush . ▁Design ed ▁by ▁Francis ▁Bell , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁substantial ▁riv et ed , ▁wr ought ▁iron , ▁lattice ▁tr uss ▁structure , ▁with ▁bl uest one ▁ab ut ments ▁and ▁pi ers . ▁ ▁History ▁T enders ▁were ▁called ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁April ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁by ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Land ▁and ▁Works , ▁for ▁ere ct ing ▁the ▁pi ers ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁bridge ▁and , ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁month , ▁the ▁tender ▁of ▁J . ▁McK en zie ▁was ▁accepted ▁at ▁£ 1 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁To ▁obtain ▁better ▁found ations , ▁a ▁slight ▁alter ation ▁had ▁been ▁made ▁to ▁the ▁proposed ▁site , ▁while ▁the ▁estimated ▁cost , ▁including ▁c utt ings ▁from ▁both ▁Bur wood ▁Road ▁and ▁Church ▁Street , ▁was ▁£ 4 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁specified ▁date ▁for ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁bl uest one ▁pi ers ▁and ▁ab ut ments ▁was ▁December ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁finished ▁until ▁February ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁actual ▁cost ▁was ▁£ 1 0 , 0 6 5 . ▁The ▁wr ought ▁iron ▁tr uss ▁components ▁were ▁ordered ▁from ▁Britain . ▁However , ▁the ▁ship ▁Her ald ▁of ▁the ▁Mor ning , ▁which ▁carried ▁the ▁bridge ▁components ▁to ▁Melbourne ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 ▁as ▁deck ▁cargo , ▁caught ▁fire ▁in ▁Hob