Matapihi Rail Bridge now open to pedestrians
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| Photo [Cameron Avery] |
A dawn blessing and opening was held this morning to celebrate the completion of four months of repair work to the pathway.
Mayor Stuart Crosby said that the newly repaired pathway was a significant improvement.
"The pathway is wider than it was before and a lot safer. It's an important link between Matapihi and the city for Matapihi residents and for a large number of walkers and cyclists who use it on a daily basis."
The project to repair the bridge followed visual and structural inspections in early 2012 that showed there was significant rotting and rusting to the wooden beams and steel supports under the pathway that needed to be repaired. The project involved replacing the timber decking, beams and struts as well as the steel supports. The ramps at each end of the bridge were also upgraded and the handrails were replaced with slightly higher ones to meet the Building Act requirements. Most of the work was done using a special platform that hung under the bridge.
The Matapihi Rail Bridge is 88 years old. The pathway along the side of the bridge was added at the end of the 1950’s to provide a safe way for people to walk over the bridge. This was as a result of numerous deaths and injuries to people walking over the rail bridge on the train tracks. The bridge is an important access route for pedestrians and cyclists between Matapihi and the city centre with up to 200 people using the pathway on the bridge every day. Matapihi residents are the biggest users of the bridge pathway.
Photos Cameron Avery
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