The one-lane Kopu Bridge near Thames has been closed off due to a structural issue. Photo / Paul Estcourt
The one-lane Kopu Bridge near Thames has been closed off due to a structural issue. Photo / Paul Estcourt
The historic one-lane Kopu Bridge, near Thames, reopened at about 7pm, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) says.
The bridge - a key link on State Highway 25 between Auckland and the Coromandel Peninsula - was closed at 1.45pm after contractors working on the new Kopu Bridge noticed a faultwith the swing span section of the old bridge.
However, the bridge was found to be structurally sound, NZTA spokeswoman Michelle Te Wharau said.
"The fault detected today was caused by a bolt failure on a steel plate which bridges a 100mm gap between the swing span section of the bridge and the main deck,'' she said.
The existing one-lane bridge was built in 1927-28 and will be replaced by a modern, two-lane bridge. The $47 million construction project was launched in 2009 and is expected to be completed in the middle of next year.
