Work to remove Ngatiawa Bridge debris to start next week

Works to enable the removal of debris from the collapsed Ngatiawa Bridge in Reikorangi will commence next week.

The historical Ngatiawa Bridge, established in 1912-13, collapsed into the Ngatiawa River below more than a week ago. The bridge is registered Category II under the Historic Places Act 1993 and there has been no public access to the bridge for a number of years.

Infrastructure Services Group Manager Sean Mallon says removing the heavy wooden beams and debris from the river below is not an easy task.

“It will require us to build a platform on the river’s edge that is strong enough to support a 100 tonne crane. The platform will then need to be certified by a geotechnical engineer to ensure it can safely support the crane.

“It’s quite a drop down to where the bridge debris is scattered so it’s important that we take appropriate steps to facilitate the safe removal of material,” said Mr Mallon.

The cost of removing the bridge debris is estimated to be around $90,000. Mr Mallon said the Council may look to salvage some of the material to off-set some of the cost.

The Council is advising people to stay clear of the historical Ngatiawa Bridge site while contractors are working in the area. Work to remove the debris is expected to take up to three weeks.