Work begins to replace old bridges in Ruapehu district

Work has begun to replace the first of two old wooden bridges that provide essential transport links in Ruapehu. Photo / Bevan Conley

Work has begun to replace the century-old one-lane timber bridge on Ruapehu Rd at Rangataua.

The bridge is now closed to traffic until May 31 next year.

The Ruapehu District Council appealed to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency for funding to replace two wooden bridges that cross the main trunk rail line on Ruapehu Rd.

Waka Kotahi allocated $48.3m to the council for its three-year road budget, allowing it to commit to the $4.8m replacement cost for the bridges.

The council had introduced new weight restrictions and compliance cameras on the Mangateitei Rd rail overbridge between Ohakune and Rangataua after local growers and contractors urgently asked the council to find a solution that wouldn't force them to risk their safety and criminalise them just to operate their business.

Work to replace the Mangateitei Rd bridge will commence when the replacement of the Ruapehu Rd has been completed.

The deterioration of the bridge poses a significant issue for the district as it is the only option for growers, farmers and forestry operators. Growers rely on it for national and export distribution.

Ohakune growers produce around 20 per cent of New Zealand's carrot and potato crops.

Scott Young's family has been growing produce and transporting it across the bridge for four generations.

"The replacement of the Ruapehu Rd bridge won't affect us but we will be affected when work begins on the Mangateitei Rd bridge next year," Young said.

"We have an alternative route for transporting it out over our property but it will take longer and cost more, of course. At the moment, we are having to make more frequent trips with smaller loads because of the weight restrictions on the bridge.

"We are just grateful and relieved that there is now a budget to replace the bridge."

Former Ruapehu mayor Don Cameron said it was good to see work to replace the first bridge had begun.

"The bridges should have been replaced long ago but the council needed Waka Kotahi's support to meet the costs," he said.

"They have a good understanding of what the Ruapehu district is facing with a number of old bridges built in the early half of last century to open up agricultural production that now need replacing."

Cameron said the ageing structures helped support the rural backbone of New Zealand's economy that fed the nation and was also critical to exports as the country recovered from the effects of Covid-19.