A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Hangaroa and Bushy Knoll residents will soon have a temporary bridge.
Residents have been cut off for six weeks since Cyclone Gabrielle destroyed the Bushy Knoll Bridge that connects them to Tiniroto
Road.
“A Bailey bridge is coming, but that’s at least another six to eight weeks away before it can be installed,”
a Gisborne District Council Facebook statement said.
“So in the meantime, some Kiwi ingenuity is being developed by staff and local contractors.
“We’ve taken some bridge beams out of retirement that were part of the Armstrong Road Bridge.
“We’re creating a low-level bridge by placing concrete blocks in the river, with the deck sitting on beams. These beams will have holes cut to let water through if it floods.
“The plan is to have this temporary bridge open by Easter.
“Because it’s being built as it goes, it’ll need weight testing before heavy vehicles can use it. We’ll keep you posted on that.
“Residents have been using all sorts of methods to get access to town, so this will be a welcome solution until the Bailey bridge is in place.”
