Another Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild milestone is about to be ticked off with less than 24 hours until the official opening of the Moteo-Puketapu Bridge.
A chalkboard sign outside the Puketapu Store has been counting down the days in anticipation for local residents and those passing through.
The vital connection on Vicarage Rd across the Tūtaekuri River was washed away during Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 and work began for the rebuild in June 2024.
The bridge will be open to the public at 10am after an invitation-only dawn blessing.
Saturday will also celebrate the reopening of the Puketapu Loop section of the Hawke’s Bay Trails Great Ride, thanks to the efforts of Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, with support from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Ministry of Tourism and New Zealand Cycle Trail.
In addition, there will be fun family-friendly attractions at Puketapu Park from 10am-2pm, supported by Fulton Hogan.
Hastings District Council Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the opening this weekend is a huge milestone in the recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We are hugely grateful for the support and input of the local community and mana whenua, and for all the hard work of our contractors and their efforts to engage with the community and keep them involved throughout the project.”
She said the bridge, which was fully funded by the Government’s National Infrastructure Funding and Financing programme and cost around $28 million, was “a lifeline, a reconnection and a promise of resilience”.
“Built three metres higher than the original, with piles reaching 41 metres deep, and designed with three columns instead of five to reduce debris build-up, the bridge is engineered to be more durable, carry heavier loads, and resist higher-intensity earthquakes.”
Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd said the opening was hugely significant for the community.
“It’s going to reconnect the communities of South Puketapu and North Puketapu and after everything they have been through, this is a huge symbol of progress.”
Wedd said she and Napier MP Katie Nimon had spent time during the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle in the community, and the way everyone got back on their feet was to be admired.
“From the families, to the homes, to the businesses to the school it has just been amazing and the bridge opening is a significant milestone in the progress to the rebuild.”
She said central and local government worked together with the community to make the work happen.
“It’s taken just over two years to get a huge infrastructure project like this built and is a real tribute to everyone working collaboratively.”
A nod to the history of the original Puketapu Bridge is reflected in the bridge’s new name – the Moteo-Puketapu Bridge.
In 1906, when it was first opened as a swing bridge, it was called the Moteo Bridge as it was primarily built to enable children at Moteo to safely cross the Tūtaekurī River to get to school.
In 1963, when a more permanent structure was built and opened, it became more commonly known as the Puketapu Bridge, or sometimes Vicarage Bridge, reflecting one of its approaches off Vicarage Rd.
The joining of the names reflects the rejoining of the communities cut off when the bridge washed away during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.