Bridge to close for 8 weeks

The Orams Rd overbridge was damaged when it was hit by the boom of a digger last week. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Residents of two Manukau suburbs were shocked to learn yesterday that a motorway bridge badly damaged by a towed digging machine will take as long as eight weeks to repair.

The Transport Agency expects the Orams Rd bridge, which normally carries up to 12,000 vehicles each day across the Southern Motorway, will remain shut to all traffic except for pedestrians and bicycles for that time.

That means residents of Totara Heights and Hillpark will have to make dog-legs across the busy motorway interchange bridge in central Manukau, 1.85km away at Redoubt Rd, to get between the two suburbs.

Although the Hill Rd interchange is only 1.2km to the south, detours in that direction would entail a long loop around the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens and Totara Park.

The agency says extensive damage was caused to all nine concrete bridge beams over the motorway's southbound carriageway when they were hit by the boom of a digger under tow on Friday.

It is involved in an investigation with the police into how a legal height limit of 4.25m was exceeded.

Acting regional highways manager Sumi Eratne confirmed last night that the bridge was raised to 5m at its lowest point above the motorway about 10 years ago, after a similar mishap closed it for several weeks.

But he said there was no suggestion it needed more height, and a number of 4.9m bridges remained on the motorway network.

Mr Eratne said although eight weeks was the best estimate for the bridge repairs, the task would be given urgency within the limitations of having to keep the motorway open during daylight hours.

That would mean a full programme of night work for agency contractors, when motorway lane closures would be needed.

Manukau City Council member Colleen Brown, representing the Manurewa ward, said she had taken calls from angry residents who were alarmed by rumours of a six-week closure.

"I had to tell them it was highly likely to be eight weeks - it will be enormously inconvenient for a lot of people," she said. She hoped the agency was giving it a high enough priority.

Kathy Maxwell of Hillpark Care Chemist, one of several businesses near the western end of the bridge, said she was particularly concerned about the medical needs of residents across the motorway in Totara Heights.

They relied on the bridge to reach healthcare facilities such as general practitioners and the Manukau Super Clinic across Gt South Rd from Orams Rd.

Mrs Maxwell recalled walking over the bridge during the previous long closure to meet patients halfway with their prescription medicines.