Crash smashes out railing on Tarewa Rd bridge

A 2m section on an inner-city bridge has been scuttled by a car during an early morning crash in Whangarei.

Police confirm they had been called to the crash involving a vehicle and two people at the bridge on Tarewa Rd about 1.30am on Sunday.

Details were limited but it appeared St John Ambulance officers had also been called and police were still investigating as to whether charges would be laid.

A contractor for the Whangarei City Council was called and erected a temporary warning sign and had put up an orange barrier and mesh across the hole.

A 2m section of the concrete railing had been bashed out and was on the river bank about 3m below.

The council's manager of infrastructure and services Simon Weston said the damage was to the concrete parapet and a small section of footpath only and the structural integrity of the bridge itself had not been affected.

Mr Weston said the maintenance contractor would look at feasibility of temporary repairs to make the bridge usable for pedestrians, or alternatively that section of footpath would be closed temporarily for safety reasons.