Preparations begin this week for construction of the remaining five piers for the Kopu Bridge over New Zealand's Waihou River.

 

A work platform will be built from the river's eastern bank to enable construction of the five piers. The first 10 piers for the 580m-long bridge have been built from a western platform, where work is now focused on placing steel beams and completing the concrete deck.

Construction of the eastern platform is ahead of schedule but the project's overall completion depends on the approaches. "The critical factor is achieving our soil settlement targets on the bridge approaches, because we cannot build the approach roads until those targets are met," said NZ Transport Agency project services manager Bryce Carter. The project remains on target for completion in mid 2012.