A DECISION announced by Waka Kotahi this week to close the dilapidated century-old Kōpaki bridge means traffic will have to take a 12km detour until the new one is completed in April.
FROM next week no traffic will be able to travel over Kōpaki bridge until the new one is completed next year. The decision to permanently close the bridge on SH30 came as the direct result of heavy vehicles repeatedly breaching the well-signposted six-tonne weight limit, which in turn has accelerated the bridge’s deterioration, according to Waka Kotahi. From December 9 until the replacement bridge is completed in April 2023, all traffic between Te Kūiti and Maniaiti/Benneydale will need to use SH3, SH4 and Kōpaki Road. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency regional manager maintenance and operations, Rob Campbell said it was hoped the old bridge would remain open to light vehicles until the new one is complete. “But unfortunately the risk of a collapse has become too great, especially given the size of some of the vehicles we’ve seen crossing the bridge,” he said. “We’ve investigated various options for keeping the bridge open, such as installing barriers to restrict higher vehicles, however, none of these would provide a safe solution that would guarantee that heavy vehicles could not access the bridge. “The only option that can guarantee the safety of SH30 traffic is to close the bridge.” REPEATED BREACHES The old timber bridge has been under a six-tonne weight limit since late 2021, however repeated breaches of this restriction has increased the risk of the bridge collapsing. “As the bridge crosses the North Island Main Trunk rail line, which includes a 25 kilovolt overhead line, the consequences of a bridge collapse are even more serious, and especially so if it occurred when a train was passing underneath,” Rob said. “We’ve given a week’s notice so that the community has time to prepare for this. We would remind the drivers of heavy vehicles that the six-tonne limit remains in place until the bridge closes.” He acknowledged the inconvenience the local community would experience in the next five months because of the bridge closure, but said safety was Waka Kotahi’s priority. From next Friday barriers will be installed to prevent access to the bridge. The detour of SH3, SH4 and Kōpaki Road adds about 12km to the trip between Te Kūiti and Maniaiti/Benneydale. In an emergency, ambulance and police vehicles weighing less than six tonnes will still be able to use the bridge, as will light vehicles involved in the construction of the replacement bridge.
