NZ Transport Agency southern regional director Jim Harland said that the two 132-year-old bridges have reached the end of their life. “These single-lane bridges were opened in 1881 and with a combined length of 762 metres, were one of the largest wooden structures of their kind in New Zealand," he said. “The predominately timber structures have been deteriorating and are no longer suitable to serve the needs of the local community, being vulnerable to closure during peak river flows and unable to carry over-sized agricultural machinery.”
He said that the two new two-lane bridges, linking State Highway 82 with Kurow on the south bank and Hakataramea on the north bank, will provide a reliable alternative route to State Highway 1 for motorists to reach destinations north and south of the Waitaki River.
The two new bridges will be built immediately downstream from the existing bridges and each will have a barrier-separated pathway for cyclists and pedestrians.
Contractor McConnell Dowell Constructors Ltd will be onsite from early next month to begin construction of the two new bridges, which are expected to open late 2014.
