Rail bridge most urgent repairs to be done immediately

The Aramoho Rail Bridge ... no maintenance until 2020-21.

The most urgent repairs to Whanganui's Aramoho Rail Bridge will be done immediately, but more substantial work could be five years away, Mayor Hamish McDouall said on Monday.

Mr McDouall said council's infrastructure team would assess and carry out the most urgent repairs to the bridge's footpath, for which council was responsible.

Other bridge repairs and maintenance were KiwiRail's responsibility and would not be done for up to five years.

Both KiwiRail and Mr McDouall say the bridge is safe to use and there are no plans to close it.

Mr McDouall met with KiwiRail representatives to discuss concerns raised about the bridge's safety and also its shabby look.

A group of concerned citizens, including unsuccessful district council candidates Ross Fallen and Steve Baron, raised the issue earlier this year after Mr Fallen's dog injured its foot in one of the many holes that have opened upon on the footbridge.

They raised concerns over safety of the footpath and proposed ways to increase the bridge's appeal, calling it an eyesore, and a poor gateway image to city visitors.

A 2016 engineering report of the footbridge identified 24 items requiring maintenance or repair including poor appearance, gaps between timber decking, grass and vegetation growing on the walkway, decayed handrails, poor paint condition, decayed decking, rusted bolts and moss and lichen on the footway surface.

Items were recommended to be addressed between three, six and 12 months and costings ranged between $100 and $1000.

Earlier reports - in 2013 and in 2012 - also identified concerns with the footbridge.

Mr McDouall said council would inspect and repair the most urgent items immediately but would not fully refurbish the footpath until KiwiRail was ready to do its maintenance on the substantive part of the bridge sometime in 2020-21. It made sense to do the bulk of the work at the same time as KiwiRail carried out is maintenance work, he said.

Mr McDouall said he understood that KiwiRail had to schedule its maintenance work "as we do our roads" and was grateful that KiwiRail has made itself available to attend a meeting over the issue.

"The bottom line is the bridge is safe. There are holes on the walkway but they are not dangerous," Mr McDouall said.

The footbridge is used daily by walkers, runners, cyclists, mobility scooters, skateboarders - and even motor scooters.

Earlier council legal officer Paul Drake said the footbridge was nearing the end of its life and its replacement or upgrade was due in the near future. The council would apply to the NZ Transport Agency urban cycleway programme for investment for construction in the 2018-21 period.

Plans to paint a mural on the Whanganui East end of the bridge, where it spans Anzac Parade, would also need to wait until KiwiRail began its maintenance.