The first vehicles have this morning travelled across the Hikuwai Bailey bridge, north of Tolaga Bay.
The bridge reconnects State Highway 35 between Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay, following the destruction of Hikuwai no. 1 bridge during Cyclone Gabrielle.
A bypass, put in place by local contractors, with the support of Waka Kotahi, has been the alternative route for the past few months. The unsealed road will remain in use for heavier trucks which are unable to use the Bailey bridge.
A number of representatives from Waka Kotahi, including Regional Manager of Maintenance and Operations Jaclyn Hankin, joined community leaders to mark the completion of the Bailey bridge yesterday with an official ceremony, attended by East Coast MP and Associate Minister for Transport Kiritapu Allan, which included a blessing by Ngāti Porou.
Ms Hankin says SH35 is vital for communities, whanau and businesses in the region, and restoring and strengthening the access for local communities has been the driving force for everyone working on the bridge.
“The cyclone closed SH35 in two crucial places for an extended period of time – at Hikuwai and further north at the Mangahauini Gorge. In March, bypass routes were opened in both locations, restoring temporary access for the communities who rely on the connections SH35 provides to whanau, friends, essential goods and services and business opportunities.
“It’s fantastic to be able to strengthen that access today with the opening of the Bailey bridge. Our contractors have worked hard to get the bridge opened as quickly as possible, but I want to be really clear about how important the support and the initiative of the community has been in getting us to this point – we are incredibly appreciative.
Gisborne District Council Mayor Rehette Stoltz echoed those sentiments.
“We’d like to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to get us here today. SH35 is a lifeline for our coast residents. Our rural communities rely heavily on these transport links along our coast – not only for doing business but to keep connected with whanau.”
Ms Hankin says while there was a real push to get the bridge up and access restored across the river as quickly as possible, this had to be balanced with ensuring the Bailey bridge is safe, resilient and able to cope with future traffic demands while a permanent solution is finalised.
“While the bridge and roads either side are open for travel from today, unfortunately wet weather this week has prevented our contractors from finishing the road surfacing.
“This will need to be done in the coming days to ensure the road will remain safe and reliable through winter and may temporarily impact the opening hours of the bridge. We will keep affected communities informed of any changes to opening hours with as much notice as possible.”
Ms Hankin says while reconnecting state highway access across the river marks a significant step forward for the recovery of the Tairāwhiti transport network, this is by no means the end.
“Input from local communities has been invaluable to get us to where we are with the recovery – and will become even more important in the months and years ahead as we partner with residents, community groups, iwi, businesses and councils to finalise the best options for a safe, resilient and reliable transport network for Tairāwhiti into the future.”
Drone footage, taken yesterday, of the Bailey bridge:
