Gisborne’s 1000-year bridge nears completion, December 12 date pending

Contractors are close to completing the 1000-year bridge with Gisborne District Council expecting a competition date of December 12 to be confirmed next week. Photo / Wynsley Wrigley

The long wait is nearly over with Gisborne’s 1000-year bridge set to be “physically” completed by December 12.

Gisborne District Council infrastructure manager Dave Hadfield, speaking on Thursday to councillors sitting as the Operations Committee, said the completion date would be confirmed with the contractor next week.

Hadfield said he had not put the contractor for the Kaiti Beach Rd-based project under pressure.

“If everything aligns, they’ve said it will be physically completed by December 12.”

A water issue on the deck of the waka had been rectified.

Another issue was connecting power to provide lighting for those using the bridge at night.

“It’s the little fiddly things that are holding everything up,” Hadfield said. “I’m hoping by next week that we will get a confirmed date.”

A written report before councillors said the final components to complete were handrail and lighting installations, touch-up painting and non-slip floor surfacing on the deck, while the Department of Conservation was working on footpath improvements.

Hadfield said it was yet to be confirmed if there would be an official opening in conjunction with local iwi Ngāti Oneone.

Councillor Tony Robinson said the bridge would make for a busy site and asked if a rubbish bin would be provided.

“It’s quite a special area. The last thing you want to do is to put in an ordinary looking rubbish bin,” Hadfield said.

Parking would be restricted, he said.

The project was originally scheduled for delivery in 2019 for the Tuia 250/James Cook sestercentennial but was delayed by interruptions that included Covid-19 and severe weather events.

The 1000-year bridge from Tītīrangi/Kaiti Hill to the Puhi Kai Iti/Cook Landing site returns the “cone of vision” back to the historical site so Te Kurī-a-Paoa/Young Nicks Head can be seen.

That view has been blocked by the development of the harbour over the past century.

The open-air pedestrian bridge, shaped and carved to look like a waka, will offer views from where navigators arrived by waka and ship over the past 1000 years.

The bridge, built 6.3 metres above Kaiti Beach Rd, has been externally funded through a Lottery grant of $3.1 million and a Trust Tairāwhiti grant of $343,000.