Whanganui construction company included in tenders awarded Mangaweka Bridge replacement

Construction for the new Mangaweka Bridge is expected to be completed by June 30 in 2022. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui-based Emmetts Civil Construction is one of three companies that have been awarded the Mangaweka Bridge Replacement contract.

Stringfellows Contracting Ltd and Dempsey Wood Civil Ltd were also awarded the contract.

Rangitīkei District Council voted to award the $7,900,000 contract to the three companies at Thursday's council meeting.

A new Mangaweka bridge is to be built next to the existing one, which will be retained for walking and cycling.

The cost of construction will be shared equally between the Rangitīkei District Council and Manawatū District Council.

The contract includes a 16 per cent contingency which can be utilised only upon the engineer's approval.

Council's roading manager, John Jones, said the new Mangaweka Bridge will unlock the economic potential of the northern Manawatū farmlands and the new structure will stand for a design life of 100 years.

"The new bridge is expected to carry an Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) of 274 vehicles when open, comprising of four per cent heavy vehicles. The bridge will form part of the Manawatū Scenic Route."

Although it will be marked as a single lane bridge, Jones said it is 7.3m wide and is designed for two-lane operation in emergency situations if State Highway 1 is closed.

The new weathering steel bridge is expected to be 132m and pavement construction, earthworks and other ancillary works will take place.

These works will include the addition of various walking traffic and vehicle access tracks to service local properties.

It is approximately 30m downstream from the existing bridge and at each end of the bridge, there is vehicle access to Mangaweka Campground on the west and a private property on the east.

Jones said beneath the bridge there is set to be a gravel walking track to link the existing bridge with the campgrounds that surround the area.

As well as this he said there is also going to be a gravel access track will also be created from the Mangaweka Campground to the base of the existing bridge to allow council staff to maintain water-monitoring equipment at the water tower.

The historic bridge will be managed by a Memorandum of Understanding between Rangitīkei and Manawatū District Councils and the Mangaweka Heritage Inc.

It was also decided in early June that GHD Ltd will take on the management, surveillance and quality assurance (MS&QA) for the bridge replacement.

Jones said the construction of the new bridge is expected to be completed by June 30, 2022.