Cyclone-damaged Dannevirke road reopens with recycled bridge beams

A new bridge on Otanga Rd north of Dannevirke has been rebuilt using recycled beams, allowing it to be used by traffic once again and saving $10,000.

The road, which reopened to the public on Monday, was closed in 2023 after damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and an earthquake, which created a 3m drop in the road and collapsed the culvert over the Whakaruatapu stream.

The steel beams used for the rebuild were actually salvaged and recycled from the nearby Rakaiatai Rd bridge, which was also washed out in Cyclone Gabrielle.

A Tararua District Council spokesperson said this saved the project $10,000, reduced wait times for materials, and had a much lighter environmental footprint than importing material from overseas.

According to the spokesperson, the road was initially proposed to be closed, but Tararua Alliance secured NZ Transport Agency support “to deliver a robust bridge solution that has enabled the road to remain part of the local road network”.

Steel beams from the Rakaiatai Rd bridge were used to rebuild the Otanga Rod bridge after Cyclone Gabrielle and earthquake destruction.

Otanga Rd, which can be used as a detour route if State Highway 2 is closed, is in an area of significant land instability.

Geotechnical and engineering assessments were carried out, and the most resilient option was a single-span bridge designed to withstand land movement.

The council spokesperson said some ground movement is anticipated at the bridge approaches.

Portions of the road are narrow and under priority give way, including the bridge and the rise near Maunga Rd.

The road is currently unsealed due to the potential risk of ground movement when the damaged culvert is removed.

Tararua Alliance will remove the culvert later in spring and let the ground settle, then reassess sealing of the road.

The road will be open to light and heavy vehicles under a 30km/h temporary speed limit.

Nearby on Maunga Rd, work will be starting shortly on two drop-outs 2km from the intersection with Tipapakuku Rd.

This work will be under stop/go traffic management and there may be some delays for heavy vehicles. The work on Maunga Rd is expected to be completed in November.