A design plan has been completed to enable pedestrian, and potentially light vehicles, access over the currently closed Te Reinga Bridge.

Principal structural engineers from Wellington have completed a design for a temporary solution to allow pedestrian access across the bridge, with work expected to be completed within the next five weeks.

It is anticipated light vehicles will also be able to cross the bridge under this temporary solution, but that will not be confirmed until load testing is carried out once the work is completed.

The Te Reinga Bridge on the Ruakituri Road was closed to all vehicles and pedestrians at the end of March due to significant structural damage involving two of the bridge piers subsiding.

Wairoa District Council Chief Executive Kitea Tipuna said temporary access has always been the priority and concurrently a permanent solution to repairing the bridge is also being worked on.

Mr Tipuna said the temporary access will be the least disruptive and most efficient way forward.

“We have investigated other options, such as a temporary Bailey Bridge, but believe the pedestrian access will be able to be provided for the Ruakituri community in a quicker time frame than erecting a Bailey Bridge.

“Physical work on the permanent solution will begin once the pedestrian access is completed.”

Meanwhile, a contracts engineer has been visiting residents in the Ruakituri area to gain further understanding of their needs. This information will be developed into a programme of works so residents will be able to see what is being done and the expected timeframes.

Te Reinga Bridge is in an extremely dangerous state and must not be used or crossed over. Mr Tipuna said remote monitoring sensors have been installed onto the bridge which will record even the smallest of movements. If any movement is detected, an emergency response will be triggered.

From a safety perspective, no bridge movement is acceptable, and people are urged to please be vigilant and make sure your whānau and friends are not using the bridge. These sensors will remain in place for the duration of the initial pedestrian/light vehicle repair work.

Mr Tipuna also urged people to please stay away from the bridge abutments on either side. These areas will become busy as physical site work gets underway and from a safety perspective, people should avoid getting too close to the work site. 

“Our district took a hammering during these weather events. We are working across the district to restore as much of our roading network as we can as quickly as possible. 

“We acknowledge the closure of this bridge is very inconvenient and we thank the Ruakituri community for their patience while we work to initially restore limited access.”

If anyone notices any issues on the detour route via Erepiti Road/Ohuka Road and State Highway 38 please contact Council by phone on 06 838 7309 or by filling out a Customer Service Request (CSR). To lodge a CSR, go to Council’s webpage, www.wairoadc.govt.nz , keyword search CSR, and enter the required details. Please be as specific as possible and send photos if you can. We know this alternative route is not ideal and your feedback is important to us. The more information you can provide the more quickly we can respond.  

23 April 2022

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