Bridges in New Zealand

The bridges in New Zealand are many and varied but only date back to the beginning of European settlement in the mid 19th century.

Road bridges

Some of the longest bridges on the state highway network are: [ [http://www.transit.govt.nz/about/faqs.jsp#31 Transit New Zealand] FAQs]

* Rakaia River bridge - 1,757 metres
* Auckland Harbour Bridge - 1,580 metres.
* Thorndon Overbridges - 1,335 metres.
* Whirokino Trestle Bridge - 1,098 metres.
* Waitaki River Bridge - 906 metres.
* Hokitika River Bridge - 740 metres.
* Haast River Bridge - 737 metres.

Viaducts

*Newmarket Viaduct
*Otira Viaduct
*Percy Burn Viaduct
*Victoria Park Viaduct

Rail bridges

Road/rail bridges

There are two bridges on the State Highway on West Coast that have rail lines on the road carriageway. Until 2008 the Awatere River bridge had a rail line above the road way. A new road bridge has been constructed with the railway now being the sole use of the original bridge.

Footbridges

Since there numerous large rivers in New Zealand many footbridges have been constructed in the backcountry. During the 1950s many bridges were built, along with backcountry huts, to give hunters access to forested areas to cull introduced deer which had by that stage become a serious pest. Some of the bridges still remain but other have been washed away or replaced with new ones and are now often used due to the popularity of tramping (hiking).

Notable bridges

*The Auckland Harbour Bridge spans the Waitemata Harbour in the largest city in New Zealand.

*The Bridge to Nowhere is a concrete road bridge spanning the Mangapurua Stream in Whanganui National Park. It has no roads leading to it, but it is a popular tourist attraction, accessible by boat or kayak. It was built in a failed attempt to open up a remote forested area for farming.

Bridge disasters

Tangiwai disaster

The Tangiwai disaster on 24 December 1953, was the worst rail accident in New Zealand. The rail bridge over the Tangiwai River had been badly damaged by a lahar from Mount Ruapehu just minutes before a passenger train was due to cross it. One hundred and fifty one of the 285 passengers aboard the train were killed.

The Berrymans' bridge

In 1986 the New Zealand Army built a bridge as a training exercise on a private farm owned by the Berryman family. In 1994 a beekeeper visiting the farm was killed when the bridge collapsed as he drove over it. The incident caused a series of high profile court cases. [ [http://www.stuff.co.nz/4505783a11.html Berrymans' bridge timeline] ]

ee also

*Transport in New Zealand

References