Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance, which was significantly damaged in the recent New Zealand earthquakes will definitely be saved, mayor Bob Parker has said.
No temporary fixes will be put in place in case these cause further damage.
The stone bridge and an iconic arch at its eastern end serve as a war memorial. “This is one of the most important sites in the city and you can be rest assured we will do whatever it takes to ensure this Bridge restored,” said Parker. “It is a sacred memorial and we're therefore committed to fixing it.”
The bridge has sustained serious damage and the cost of fixing it will be substantial, he said.
The council is working through a concept and design process to find a permanent solution for repairing the bridge, as any temporary measures could cause further damage.
“We are very aware of the adverse impact on the heritage fabric of the Bridge of Remembrance that may result from any temporary reinforcing work placed on the arch,” said Parker.
“Given that the cost of steel bracing for any temporary solution is not insignificant and is likely to be around half a million dollars, we feel that it would be counter-productive to the overall permanent solution to put a temporary solution in place at this stage,” he said.
“The Bridge of Remembrance has sustained serious damage and it will definitely cost big dollars to fix - we're likely to be talking millions of dollars.”
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