Design work and options for a permanent replacement of the Waikari (Glenbrook) Bridge near Putorino are underway.

The Waikari (Glenbrook) Bridge collapsed during Cyclone Gabrielle, isolating eight properties that rely 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 is now about to begin with the affected community.

While detailed design work has not been finalised, early indications are that the bridge would be a single lane 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.

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.

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. “This will 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 will be designed with a 100-year design life with future resilience to potential flooding and seismic events taken into consideration.

Caption: Design work is underway for a permanent replacement of the temporary Waikari (Glenbrook) Bridge.

7 November 2024

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