Wairoa District Council is inviting stakeholders and locals in the Waikare community to a public meeting to discuss upcoming works on the Waikari (Glenbrook) Bridge near Putorino.

The Waikari (Glenbrook) Bridge collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle, isolating eight properties that relied on road access across the Waikari River, with no alternative route in place.

A temporary ford was built and completed just over a year ago, providing non-permanent access.

Engagement on a new permanent solution will continue with a public meeting on Wednesday, February 12, at the Waikare Sports Centre.

Wairoa District Council Chief Executive Kitea Tipuna said the primary objective is to connect Glenbrook Road properties by providing safe and effective access to the community.

“Various options for the bridge replacement have been considered including leaving the temporary ford in place, replacing at the existing location or providing a new bridge at an alternative location, either upstream or downstream.

“While detailed design work has not been finalised, early indications, based on investigations to date, are that the most likely solution could be a single-lane bridge with the proposed alignment 50m downstream of the existing bridge. It will likely be 75m long and consist of a 23-29-23m, three- span arrangement. The bridge will provide a single 3.1m lane with a trafficable width of 4.1m on a 5.1m wide reinforced concrete deck.

“This would increase resilience and reliability of the roading networks, provide connectivity and predictable travel, improve load and traffic capacity of the crossing and improve the safety of road users. The new bridge will reconnect people in a resilient, cost-effective, cultural and environmentally sensitive way, taking into consideration the needs and vision of the communities.”

“The bridge would be designed with a 100-year design life with future resilience to potential flooding and seismic events taken into consideration.”

Project leads look forward to catching up and discussing options with members of the Waikare community from 5.30pm on Wednesday, February 12, at the Waikare Sports Centre. This will be an opportunity to get updates, ask questions, and share any concerns.

Caption: Pictured is the temporary ford built after Cyclone Gabrielle.

10 February 2025

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