Hurunui District Council Chief Executive Officer Hamish Dobbie says it is important for the district that earthquake repair work is near completion and there is a good serviceable road for the future.
“The road is a key piece of infrastructure for us. It provides service to a lot of people that live up here – without it they wouldn’t be able to do what they do… so to have a brand new bridge here is a big step forward,” he says.
Hurunui District Council staff and councillors went on a tour of the NCTIR project sites between Waiau and Kaikōura at the end of 2019.
“The road itself is, generally, in better condition than what it was before the earthquake. We’re happy with the work that NCTIR’s done on it,” Mr Dobbie says.
The new Wandle Bridge was completed in around four months using a total of 290 cubic metres of concrete, 10 bridge beams, and piles drilled up to 24 metres deep.
The temporary Bailey bridge that allowed traffic access since 2017 has now been removed.
The bridge build is part of a suite of work* necessary to return the Inland Road/Route 70 back to pre-earthquake levels of service that also includes pavement repairs, culvert replacements, and geotechnical protection works such as new retaining walls, rock nets and rock stabilisation works.
All work on the road is expected to be completed by July 2020 when it will be handed back to the Hurunui District Council for ongoing management and maintenance.
*Background and map
For an idea of where you will find the Wandle River Bridge and 19 other separate projects on the Inland Road, see the original work notice and map here: https://www.hurunui.govt.nz/find/news?item=id:26ll...
