The old bridge over the Manawatu River at Whirokino has been tagged for demolition.
The old bridge over the Manawatu River at Whirokino has been tagged for demolition.
The impending demolition of the old Manawatū River Bridge at Whirokino is great news for speed boat racers but not so good for recreational cyclists.
The decision last week by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Authority to demolish the old Manawatū River Bridge was never going to make everyone happy.
Recreational cyclists had pushed hard to keep the old bridge as an alternative route for cyclists and pedestrians, while power boat racers wanted it gone as the huge pillars were an added racecourse hazard.
Manawatū Power Boat Commodore Bayden Sprozen said he was elated at learning of the decision although he understood there was a chance the decision could still be disputed.
Sprozen said the stretch of river was brilliant for racing power boats although two bridges had doubled the danger and put major events in jeopardy.
The old Whirokino bridge had three six-metre diameter concrete supports buried deep beneath the river bed, and the new bridge had the same number of concrete poles - and none of the poles aligned, so boats racing were confronted with twice as many obstacles.
Waka Kotahi had initially planned to decommission the old bridge once the new one was opened but it then considered retaining it as an alternative route for recreational users.
The initial decision to deconstruct the bridge had been made following discussions with the public and stakeholders, including local authorities and iwi.
Waka Kotahi considered current and future usage, the bridge's structural integrity, immediate upgrade costs, consent conditions, future maintenance costs, and future ownership.
Sprozen said the club's annual Gold Cup Regatta on March 22 next year, was "the largest and most prestigious" of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere and in the past had attracted boats from the US, Canada and Australia.
The two-day Gold Cup Regatta was an open event that attracted formula one, supercharged, super charge V8 class, with some reaching speeds of 230km/h.
The new bridge over the Manawatu River at Whirokino.
The club had also been given the go-ahead to stage a major edurance ski race, which had the potential to bring hundreds of thousands of dollars to the local economy, but it was doubtful it would go ahead as planned while the old bridge remained, he said.
Sprozen said skiers would come from near and far to team up with boats. He said it was realistic to expect 100 boats to enter, each bringing support crews.
"It will be an amazing spectacle. The river has such beautiful turns in it. It's an undiscovered New Zealand maritime gem," he said.
The planned 25km course would run from the Foxton end of the Manawatū River upstream to Shannon, with boats towing two skiers expected to reach speeds of 160km/h.
Horizons regional councillor Sam Ferguson was disappointed the bridge is to go, fearing lives could be lost as the new bridge wasn't safe enough for cyclists to cross.
He had advocated strongly for the bridge to be retained for recreational cyclists.
Principal project manager Glen Prince said Waka Kotahi had consulted with council, iwi partners and stakeholders, including the local boating and cycling groups, and took a number of factors into consideration, such as the environment, safety and costs.
The old bridge over the Manawatu River at Whirokino has been tagged for demolition.
"We have decided that the best option is to demolish the old bridge as we'd originally planned," he said.
Prince said few people walked or cycled across the Manawatū River Bridge and for those who do, there was a 1.5m shoulder on each side. Recent improvements to level the drain grates in the shoulder also ensure a smoother and safer journey.
Demolition work on the old bridge was due to start in the coming months.
