The first of the two new bridges being built by the NZ Transport Agency over the Waitaki River on State Highway 82 at Kurow will be officially opened on Friday 4 April.
The deck on this bridge, the smaller of the two on the Kurow side of the river, has been poured this week; the bridge being on schedule to open to traffic in three weeks, says the Transport Agency’s Highway Manager Colin Knaggs.
“This first bridge will be opened only a year after the sod turning; this is a great achievement for the project and our contractor McConnell Dowell Constructors.
“We expect the second bridge, the longer of the two on the Hakataramea side of the river, to be opened later this year.”
The two new two-lane bridges being built on State Highway 82 replace two ageing single-lane timber bridges which opened in 1881. The $20.1 million project is part of the Transport Agency’s $1 billion programme of investment in Canterbury’s transport network from 2012 to 2015.
Mr Knaggs says once the first bridge is opened on 4 April, work will begin deconstructing the old timber bridge over the southern branch of the river.
“Work on the second bridge is progressing well. Piling has been completed and work is now underway installing the structural steel.”
He says next month’s opening will have a strong community focus.
For more information please contact:
Jan McCarthy
Media Manager - Christchurch
NZ Transport Agency
T: 03 964 2885
M: 021 427 442
E: jan.mccarthy@nzta.govt.nz
