Helicopters ferrying stranded people across Ashburton river after bridge closure

Residents are being offered the chance to fly across the closed Ashburton bridge, for a price.

Gerard Rushton said he is helping to facilitate trips across the river in a commercial helicopter.

He said he had already made six trips across the river at 1pm on Tuesday.

"At the moment we're just ferrying people across from one side of Ashburton to the other - people and any essential materials that need to be ferried across."

Rushton said there is a charge for the trip but it depends on numbers and what it is.

Christchurch Helicopters is also ferrying people across the bridge.

Christchurch Helicopters was ferrying people across the closed Ashburton bridge on Tuesday. Photo / Supplied

"We're doing transfers over the river from Ashburton Airport to the domain over at Tinwald and mustering up as many people as we can find," marketing services manager Tim Murdoch.

The trip will set people back $100, which Murdoch said covers the cost of the operation.

"The crowds are building, we've done about 15 or 20 people so far but we have a heap more lined up."

Murdoch said they are going to continue on for a while yet on Tuesday and are looking at going back on Wednesday.