Second washout closes popular footpath

Another slip has occurred on the Anzac Pde walkway. PHOTO/BEVAN CONLEY

The latest collapse of a section of footpath into the Whanganui River is compounding a problem on what is a usually busy and popular pedestrian walkway.

In June last year floodwater undermined a section of the path between the riverbank and Anzac Pde and that stretch of the footpath has been closed since then. But on the weekend another area of the footpath dropped into the river.

The walkway and road are part of the state highway network - in this case SH4 - so the repair work is a job for the NZ Transport Agency. The initial slump on Anzac Pde had been included in a repair bill for SH4 from the city to Raetihi, estimated to total about $18 million.

Two months ago Ross l'Anson, NZTA acting regional highways manager, told the Chronicle 60 per cent of the damage on SH4 had been complete but fixing repairs to more seriously damaged areas of the highway would take longer.

At the time he said work was soon to start on the Anzac Pde drop-out between Taylor St and Portal St.

Part of the walkway has been closed since the June floods but this latest dropout has occurred close to the abutments of the City Bridge, taking out an extra 80m of footpath which ran along the side of the Whanganui River between the highway and the river.

It's been closed until further notice and pedestrians will have to make a detour on to the other side of Anzac Pde to bypass both dropouts.