Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Work begins later this month (from Monday 28 July) preparing to replace the temporary Bailey bridge on State Highway 2 at Waikare Gorge, with a wider, stronger temporary bridge.
SH2, between Pūtōrino and the northern side of Waikare Gorge, will close for a 24-hour period from 10am Saturday 30 August to 10am Sunday 31 August while the Bailey bridge is removed and the new bridge is lifted into place.
Prior to this closure, SH2 will be reduced to one lane between the Bailey bridge and King’s Bridge, from late July, for construction work off to the side of the road. King’s Bridge is approximately 150m south of the Bailey bridge. Stop/go traffic management will be in place during this time and we ask road users to be aware of the new layout and expect delays.
That construction work will involve building a crane platform and putting the new steel bridge together, before it can be installed during the 24-hour road closure.
The new bridge, known as an Acrow bridge, is similar to the current Bailey bridge but it will be 1 metre wider (accommodating vehicles up to 4.2m wide) and have more capacity for HPMV and most over-dimensional vehicles. It will have a chipseal surface and is expected to be quieter than the current Bailey bridge.
The Acrow bridge will remain in use until the Waikare Gorge realignment project is complete.
Principal Project Manager Richard Bayley says the new bridge will remain single lane however, it will better support the local freight industry and improve safety for everyone.
“During the closure, a crane will be used to swap the bridges over – taking the Bailey bridge off its piles and lowering the Acrow bridge into place. Crews will then deconstruct the Bailey bridge off to the side of the road, before the parts are removed from site.
“We know a full closure like this is very disruptive which is why we’re planning this work on a weekend to reduce the impact on people who travel during the weekdays, like commuters, freight and school kids.
“We value the support from the community in the area and from road users. We’re confident this new wider, stronger, quieter bridge will make travel through the area easier for more people.”
Next steps
Following the 24-hour full closure, there will be an additional 3 nights of closures, to focus on widening the north and south bound approaches to the new bridge. These will be Sunday 31 August, Monday 1 September and Tuesday 2 September, 9pm to 5am each night.
This work is weather dependent. The contingency dates for the full 24-hour closure is the following weekend (starting Saturday 6 September), with the night closures following this. If weather delays this contingency date, the next contingency is the following weekend (starting Saturday 13 September).
Note that there will be no access for emergency services during the full 24-hour closure. However, emergency services will be assisted through the night closures.
Background
Installed in May 2023 after Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed the old bridge, the single lane Waikare Bailey bridge reinstated connection along SH2. It was only a short-term solution with a 2-year design life and is restricted to General Access and 50MAX vehicles.
Acrow bridges have a 5-year design life, have a higher load capacity, and can accommodate more vehicle types. The Acrow bridge will serve as an interim upgrade to maintain access, and support traffic and project construction needs until the Waikare Gorge realignment is completed.
