New Wharekahika Bridge to be opened

The first new traffic bridge to be built by Gisborne District Council in ten years will be opened on Sunday at Wharekahika. Three kilometres from the Hicks Bay store, the four-metre wide bridge replaces a narrow concrete bridge built in the early 1930’s. The previous bridge was 2.5 metres wide and had a 10 tonne gross weight limit which made it inaccessible for most trucks and heavy vehicles.

The opening and dedication will be a community event held on site at 11am on Sunday 21 November. Reverend Rose Stainton will bless the bridge and Olive Houkamau will cut the ribbon before Matilda Ruha breaks the champagne and officially opens the bridge. Hicks Bay stalwart Lance Roberts will then lead attendees over the bridge on his ride-on mower.  

Mayor Meng Foon congratulates the Wharekahika and Matakaoa communities on the opening of this bridge which they have asked for over many years. “I am pleased that we are able to deliver this important link that allows all types of vehicles to cross and opens up the Hicks Bay wharf to possible commercial uses in the future.”

 Designed by Holmes Consultants from Wellington the new bridge features three twenty metre steel spans and hollowed concrete deck units precast in Bay of Plenty. An 85 tonne crane was used to assemble the units as they arrived.

The new bridge was designed as a two-span steel and concrete structure. Concrete Structures from Hastings won the contract to build the bridge and submitted an alternative three-span concrete design. This was accepted and means that future maintenance costs will be reduced.

Henare Green’s East coast Company Greenwood Contractors were contracted to demolish the old bridge, complete the approaches and build rock protection for the abutments. The large wooden railings retrieved from the demolition have been left at Hicks Bay for the community to use as they see fit.

Local contractors Hicks Bay Drainage, run by Mark Caldwell, were used to do the site works and drainage. Those working on the construction camped onsite and were well catered for by Mr Caldwell’s wife Edna. The construction also employed ex-council chief executive and bridge engineer Bob Elliott as quality controller.

The old bridge was one of the last bridges designed by the government’s Public Works department in the early 1930’s. It opened up the area to the Hicks Bay wharf which had been developed for use by the freezing works, commercial fishermen and farmers. Council engineer Dennis Malone suspects it was built by C.H. McCracken as it looks like other bridges he built. Reinforced concrete was used with Australian hardwood rails.

Unfortunately the old bridge was too narrow for modern trucks or fire engines. This meant that fire was a serious risk to all homes in the area. The narrow width also meant that the Wharekahika Bridge has been the scene of several accidents over the years where vehicles have gone through the rails and ended up in the river.  In the 1960’s one span of the bridge sagged and had to be propped up. This work has kept it alive for the last 40 years.

The age and condition of the bridge gave it a good cost/benefit rating from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). They funded 69% of the $733,000 cost. Even though there was an obvious need for the bridge, uncertainty of funding had meant that the development was on hold. “An opportunity came up from NZTA to secure the funding but only if we could get the job finished by the end of the last financial year (June 31, 2010),” says land transport manager Dave Hadfield. “However we had already done quite a lot of the preliminary work and we were determined to find a solution for the residents of Wharekahika sooner rather than later. The construction was completed well within NZTA timelines.”

“While we will be opening a totally functioning bridge on Sunday, it is very much a ‘no-frills’ design. Over the next few years we will look to extend the guard rails. Seal extension will also be considered up to and beyond the bridge in the next round of annual planning. Anyone with a particular interest should attend the Council’s community update meetings in March next year,” Mr Hadfield added.