Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has awarded the replacement Ahaura Bridge contract, on the State Highway 7 entrance to Greymouth, to HEB Construction Ltd.
The contract is worth about $20 million, with the contractor likely to get established on site in the New Year. Ahaura is 34 km north-east of Greymouth.
The construction period is around 18 months, with the existing bridge deconstructed afterwards given its ongoing need for maintenance, taking another three months.
For background on this bridge replacement project at Ahaura, near Greymouth: www.nzta.govt.nz/ahaura-river-bridge
In 2017, the NZ Transport Agency completed a business case for the replacement of the single lane, no footpath, 86-year-old State Highway 7 bridge at Ahaura. The recommendation was for a modern 210-metre, two-lane bridge with a footpath to be built downstream of the existing bridge and for the road through the township to remain in its current location.
“The replacement bridge will increase the resilience and reliability of State Highway 7, a key link to Greymouth, improve journey times and road safety for all users,” says Jim Harland, Director Regional Relationships for the Transport Agency.
There is wide support from the community for the replacement bridge, with safety through the town being paramount and support also for the removal of the existing bridge, based on the feedback at open days, says Mr Harland.
The recommended option includes around 450 metres of new highway and 210 metres of improvement to the existing highway. The replacement bridge is proposed to cross the river at an angle (about 20 degrees to the river) to allow a curve at the north end of the bridge to be eased and with a footpath along its length on the upstream side, linking to Ahaura township.
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