Hawke's Bay's Thomsen family rise from the mud after Cyclone Gabrielle.
Another Cyclone Gabrielle milestone has been ticked off in the Hastings district as Matapiro Bridge near Crownthorpe officially reopened to traffic, millions of dollars under budget.
The three-span concrete bridge, built about1955, was completely washed away and the roading approaches badly damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.
The bridge on Matapiro Rd was destroyed by Cyclone Gabrielle and a culvert was put in its place.
A temporary culverted crossing was installed soon after the event, and work on the new bridge began at the end of 2024.
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said it was special to attend the opening of the new bridge with the community, including mana whenua.
Community members joined Hastings District Council and contractors at the official opening of the Matapiro Bridge on Saturday, June 28.
“While it has been trafficable for some time, it’s very heartening to now have a completed project to celebrate – a robust, resilient crossing for this community.
“We’re building back better, and this new crossing is higher and longer than the original, with deeper piles and two traffic lanes.”
Hazlehurst said the bridge projects and other roading rebuilds and repairs are more than just replacing infrastructure.
The bridge rebuild finished up under budget at $5.5 million.
“They are lifelines, they are vital for people who live and work in these areas, they are very important to our local economy.”
The new Matapiro Bridge is the third large rebuild to be completed post-cyclone, following the replacement of the bridge over Kererū Gorge and the Chrystal Culvert.
Initially awarded National Infrastructure Funding and Financing funding of $9 million, the project came in under budget at $5.5m and is part of an overall $800m recovery programme being undertaken over seven to 10 years.
The underspend on this project will be reallocated to other recovery projects.
As well as conducting hundreds of slip repairs, roading repairs and rebuilds, other bridge rebuilds are under way or planned.
The next new bridge to be opened will be the Puketapu Bridge, with construction expected to be completed in August.
The building of the new Dartmoor and Rissington Bridges is anticipated to begin later this year.
