Puketapu Bridge’s rebuild a $26 million engineering ‘legacy’ for Hawke’s Bay

The Puketapu Bridge rebuild in Hawke’s Bay is ticking off milestones with six piles at a depth of 41 metres now installed.

The size of the new Puketapu Bridge, which will replace the former bridge on Vicarage Rd after it was destroyed during Cyclone Gabrielle, is much larger than a typical bridge.

Hastings District Council transportation manager Jag Pannu said the average road bridge pile in Hawke’s Bay had a depth of 12 metres, and were 1.2 metres in diameter. Puketapu’s piles are 1.8m in diameter.

“This means there is a whole different scale of complexity to contend with and this is exciting for everyone involved.”

The Puketapu Bridge rebuild is hastening with six piles at a depth of 41 metres installed before Christmas. Photo / Michaela Gower

Pannu said the bridge was being built to be resilient for future weather events and described it as “a real legacy for the region”.

It is on track to be completed by late June to early July 2025.

National Infrastructure Funding and Financing (formerly known as Crown Infrastructure Partners) is funding the rebuild, with the estimated cost for the overall project being $26 million.

There will be a shutdown period for contractors on site from Friday, December 20, who will return to work Monday, January 6.

The 20 bridge beams are currently being constructed in Auckland.

“The beams will need to be cured [process for concrete to harden to its full strength] in Auckland for 28 days, which allows us to have a Christmas break.”

Pannu said the next steps were to finish the column installation and capping, with the bridge beams being installed before filling in the abutments.

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.