Hospital bridge work calls for street closure

A massive bridge link between new Waikato Hospital buildings will change the look of Pembroke St.

Piling to prepare the bridge foundations starts on Monday and are expected to last two weeks.

"The noise and vibration will be felt throughout the hospital campus and surrounding neighbourhoods; largely because they have to go down a very long way - about 30m," said building project manager Jason Addison.

The bridge, which is being constructed offsite in Cambridge, will be transported and erected overnight on October 16-17.

"This bridge will change the landscape of Waikato Hospital and Pembroke St forever so it's definitely an exciting development for the Waiora Waikato Hospital campus and the city," said Mr Addison.

Construction of the $40 million building for Older Persons and Rehabilitation at the Waiora Waikato Hospital campus is well under way and due for completion in May 2013.

A major part of that construction though, is not the building itself, but the 37m long, 56 tonne bridge which will connect the facility located on the western side of Pembroke St with other hospital buildings on the eastern side of the street.

"Bridge installation work will require the closure of the northern end of Pembroke St from 5pm on October 16 until 6am on October 17," said Mr Addison.

"Public access to the Emergency Department during that 13-hour period can still be made via the southern end of Pembroke St."