Parana Park's historic stone footbridge will be closed to the public for a month from this week so preventative maintenance can be carried out.
The bridge is an historic feature of the riverside park, and was constructed in the 1930s when the park was gifted to the city by GeorgeParr. It is popular with children due to its fairytale appearance and curved construction.
Hamilton City Council's parks and open spaces manager Sally Sheedy says that, though the bridge remains structurally sound for pedestrian use, over time some cracks have appeared allowing water to run through it.
"It's a great old bridge but over the last 70 years, nature has taken a toll on it," Miss Sheedy says. "We've had some expert advice on how we can ensure the work we do now will mean it can be enjoyed by future generations."
Miss Sheedy says contractors will install screw piles to safeguard the bridge's structural rigidity and address the cracks with new grout.
Because of the nature of the work that needs to be done, the bridge will be off-limits to park users for the next 4-5 weeks.
That will mean no direct access between Parana Park and Memorial Park, but a detour will be in place so park users can still find their way from one park to another.
