Tukituki Trail swingbridge remnants to be put to good use

Roy Fraser, John Marshall and Athol Curtis on the tools, taking apart what's left of the Tukituki Trail's Tarewa swingbridge.

Members of the Rotary River Pathways Trust were in action last Friday, tools in hand, deconstructing the remains of CHB's Tarewa Swingbridge.

The bridge was destroyed in floods that raged through Hawke's Bay in March, taking rivers to one-in-50 year levels and causing extensive damage.

The swingbridge, which spanned the Tukituki River just downstream from Waipukurau and joined the northern and southern halves of Waipukurau's Tukituki Trails, was smashed from its moorings and left hanging, broken, once waters receded.

A week later the Hawke's Bay Regional Council pulled it from the river and deposited in the council's Waipukurau yard, where Rotarians set upon it early on Friday morning.

Pathways Trust chairman, Roy Fraser, explained that the components of the bridge could not be reused in a new bridge but would still come in handy.

"A new bridge will need all new materials to be up to standard. But the timber and hardware from the old bridge can be used to repair flood damage to the mountain bike trails and to build new elements for the trails and in the mountain bike park."

The group wants as much recycled as possible, with most of it "bloody good timber" including posts and sleepers.

There is also a large number of aluminium screws and bolts, and anything the group can't use will be sold to raise funds for the building and maintenance of the much-used trails.

Roy says the approaches to the newest bridges, upstream from Lindsay Rd, which were badly damaged in the floods, are now repaired and should be open by this weekend.

To help with the repairs the Rotary River Pathways Trust has established a Friends of the Tukituki Trail group, which can be joined for an annual subscription of $50 per person or $100 per family, with the option of becoming a life member for $500.

So far, $21,000 of subscriptions have been received from bikers, walkers, families and businesses in Central Hawke's Bay and the wider Hawke's Bay. The money will go towards structures, tracks, limestone trails, bridge approaches and developing the Gum Tree Farm Mountain Bike Park.

To become a member go to www.tukitukitrail.com/friendsofthetukitukitrail