Concerns over safety of suspension bridge after June floods

Severe flooding over Queen's Birthday weekend eroded banks of Uretara stream near the swing bridge. Photo/File

The suspension bridge over the Uretara stream is safe, despite it going under water following severe flooding that eroded part of the stream bank over Queen's Birthday weekend.

Fifty three millimetres of rain fell during June 3 with a breach in the riverbank near the bridge that flooded a nearby paddock.

Some regular users of the Haiku Pathway which crosses the suspension bridge have raised concerns as to its safety.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council's reserves and facilities manager Peter Watson is aware of the erosion of the stream bank on the true right bank down from the swing bridge, which occurred over Queen's Birthday weekend.

He said the council staff have subsequently met with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to assess the erosion damage and the condition of the bridge.

"The bridge has been checked for any structural damage and it was found that some of the bolts under the bridge had been bent.

"It's believed this was caused by a large log hitting the bridge during the flood event."

Watson said the bent bolts would be replaced.

"Otherwise the bridge structure and its foundations did not suffer any substantial damage. The bridge continues to be safe for public use."

While the damage to the stopbank downstream of the bridge raises some concerns, Watson said at this point there was no proposal for erosion protection works.

"The foundations of the bridge will continue to be monitored and, if necessary, some rock armouring may be placed upstream of the southern side of the bridge abutment as a protection against future flood events."