Bridge Strengthening Work Continues At Donald Lane

Works aimed at strengthening Donald Lane Bridge in Kaitaia will continue on Saturday (October 8), forcing the closure of the bridge to traffic for two months.

The Far North District Council is replacing the deck and steel support beams of the 33-metre-long, one-lane bridge which spans the Whangatane Spillway and handles 1200-1500 vehicle movements a day.

The work follows preliminary strengthening works by GHK Piling two months ago.

The council spent about $90,000 replacing the bridge’s abutments and upgrading the eastern abutment to allow the bridge to be extended when the spillway is widened.

The council expects Rintoul Civil to take until the end of November to complete the new works which will cost about $105,000.

People who need to cross the spillway while the bridge is closed will be diverted along Allen Bell Drive to a bridge over the Awanui River near Matthews Avenue.

The diversion will marginally shorten the journeys of motorists who would normally use the Donald Lane Bridge to travel from Kaitaia Airport and Oturu to Kaitaia.