Cyclists raise alarm over deteriorating condition of Whakatāne bridge

Allan and Ann Whyte frequently cycle across the Landing Road Bridge and say it is not up to safety standards. Photo / Diane McCarthy

A Whakatāne bridge’s handrails look so rusty that they could collapse if someone falls against them, cyclists who regularly ride the route say.

Bolts are not tightened on the Landing Road Bridge, large holes can be seen in the footpath and sections of safety fencing were missing for several weeks.

Cyclists Ann and Allan Whyte say the lack of maintenance has become an increasing concern.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) acknowledged the deteriorating condition of the bridge in Whakatāne and said it had maintenance scheduled before the end of the year.

However, Allan Whyte said the current state of the bridge represented more than a year of deterioration and questioned how often or how thoroughly bridges were inspected.

Of particular concern was an area of handrail on the upstream side of the bridge, about 40m to 50m from the town side, where the handrail had rusted through.

“If I gave that a good kick, it would come right off,” Allan Whyte said.

“I always worry that I’m going to bump into it on my bike. If nothing else, the jagged, rusty metal could cause a nasty cut.

“Any industry with health and safety standards this low would be shut down.”

The area that swimmers stood on to jump off the bridge in summer looked to be in relatively good repair, showing signs that it had been replaced in recent years.

Allan Whyte also pointed out bolts holding the handrail structure to the bridge were not fully threaded in, holes in the pavement large enough for a child to step into up to their ankle, and a section of safety rail between the footpath and road that had come off and took several weeks to be replaced.

Ann Whyte said she felt unsafe whenever she passed the missing rail.

“When it was finally replaced, they didn’t take away the damaged rail and it is lying on the side of the bank,” Allan Whyte said.

He said he was aware that Whakatāne residents had used the bridge for many years before safety rails were installed.

“Anyone who has worked in industry will tell you that once a safety hazard has been identified and mitigation measures had been implemented, it is everyone’s responsibility to make sure they are maintained.

“This is quite an outrageous thing for it to be left in this state.”

The couple said there were a lot of people and organisations, including Whakatāne District Council, pushing to have a second bridge built in Whakatāne, but no one seemed to care about the state of the one that was already here.

“If this is the only bridge we can have, we need to take care of it,” Ann Whyte said.

“They must drive over it all the time. They should be getting in touch with NZTA to let them know it needs fixing.”

NZTA said repair work for the bridge handrails was scheduled before the end of 2025 and was expected to take at least three to four weeks.

During the repair work, the bridge walkways would be closed to the public, one side at a time. The exact dates will be communicated with the community once they are confirmed.

In the meantime, NZTA said maintenance crews would fix the footpath and remove the broken barrier beneath the bridge.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.