Bridge inspections planned this month for the Top of the South

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Ensuring state highway bridges are safe and fit for purpose will see bridge inspections completed on state highways across the top of the South this month.

The Auckland based Bridge Inspection Unit will be in the region from mid to late March to assess bridges on State Highways 1, 6, 60 and 63.

Mark Owen, Regional Manager Lower North Island/Top of the South says the technical inspections are essential and have to be carried out every six years.

“In the same way people get a Warrant of Fitness inspection for their cars, we do the same with our state highway bridges.”

“They are an essential part of our state highway infrastructure, and with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of vehicles using them daily, it is critical we make sure they’re in good order and safe to use. These inspections also tell us what maintenance the bridges may need,” Mr Owen says.

To complete the work, a truck-mounted inspection unit parks on the bridge. This allows structural engineers access to hard-to-reach components underneath the structure to determine their condition.

Mr Owen says this means traffic will be affected while the inspections are underway.

“There are two bridges that must be closed while inspections take place – the single-lane, State Highway 63 Wairau River (Wash) Bridge, and the narrow State Highway 60 Motueka River Bridge.”

There is simply not enough space on these bridges to let traffic past safely while this work is completed,” Mr Owen says.

He says during the bridge closures traffic will be stopped, with openings on the hour to let queued vehicles through.

“The good news is all other bridges to be inspected are wide enough to allow a single lane of traffic through while the bridge inspection unit does its work.”

“Because there will be Stop/Go traffic management and a temporary speed limit of 30km/h in place, drivers can expect some short delays, but it should not be too onerous,” Mr Owen says.

He recommends people travelling in the top of the South Island during March to keep an eye on the work schedule and the NZTA/Waka Kotahi journey planner to make sure they are not caught out by the work.

Mr Owen says the work has been planned alongside all other maintenance work to minimise the overall traveller disruption.

“We’ve also planned this work so that all the assessments of the region’s state highway bridges is completed in March and early April rather than spacing the assessments out during the year.

“It is a more effective and efficient approach and reduces overall disruption to road users,” Mr Owen says.

Bridge inspection schedule

MIL OSI