256:
19:
203:; e.g. over the Rakaia River (at 1.75 km the longest bridge on the network), the Rangitaka River and on the boundary with Otago the Waitaki River (opened 1876) . They all lasted into the 20th century; the last to be replaced was the Waitaki River bridge (opened 1876), where a new road bridge was opened in 1956, and new rail bridge shortly afterwards.The busy Waitaki River bridge on the
52:, with a total length of 142 km (88 mi) (1.3% of SH length). There were 13,726 232 km (144 mi) of bridges in urban areas, also forming 1.3% of their length. 7,567 of them were single lane bridges. The 120 bridges on special-purpose roads formed only 3.7 km (2.3 mi), or 0.7% of their length. The
109:
New
Zealand, due to its low traffic density, has had many single lane bridges. Some of those still exist on the state highway network and are criticised by road users. These are progressively replaced with two lane structures. The oldest and one of the longest single lane bridge on the state highway
219:
bridge had a rail line above the road way. A new road bridge was constructed with the railway now being the sole use of the original bridge. A combined bridge was at
Pekatahi, between Edgecumbe and Taneatua in the Bay of Plenty (the rail line in 2004 was unused, but not closed).
301:
is a concrete road bridge spanning the
Mangapurua Stream in Whanganui National Park. It has no roads leading to it, but it is a popular tourist attraction, accessible by boat or kayak. It was built in a failed attempt to open up a remote forested area for
271:, to give hunters access to forested areas to cull introduced deer which had by that stage become a serious pest. Some of the bridges still remain but other have been washed away or replaced with new ones and are now often used due to the popularity of
462:
366:
as a training exercise on a private farm owned by the
Berryman family. In 1994 a beekeeper visiting the farm was killed when the bridge collapsed as he drove over it. The incident caused a series of high-profile court cases.
195:. Most were one (road) lane wide. Many had combined decks particularly in areas with low traffic, so drivers had to navigate over raised rail tracks. In 2004 there were five left; two on the heritage
334:, was dynamited. Although the morning passenger train ran over the damaged bridge, it did not collapse. After regular railway line patrols were commenced, trains ran normally again the next day.
466:
199:. Two were at Arahura and Taramakau between Greymouth and Hokitika. on the West Coast, where the line had only two trains a day. Several former bridges were in Canterbury, over wide
693:
187:
Historically many bridges were combined road and rail bridges. Some were âdouble-deckerâ with the rail track above the roadway. e.g. the
Awatere River bridge north of
634:
418:
207:
had two lanes, and âbridge keepersâ closed the road bridge gates to the bridge when in use by trains. There are two bridges on the State
Highway on
346:
on 24 December 1953, was the worst rail accident in New
Zealand. The rail bridge over the Whangaehu river at Tangiwai had been badly damaged by a
707:
435:
600:
323:
26:
road/rail bridge on the West Coast of the South Island. It was replaced with a new bridge with separate road and rail sections in 2009.
488:
544:
60:
49:
170:
239:
and it used to carry the mothballed rails of the ECMT the tracks were removed in 2019. The rare double-deck road-rail bridge at
726:
298:
284:
236:
160:
247:, still carries a local road on the lower level, whilst on the upper level, the railway has been replaced by a walkway.
513:
626:
118:, this was replaced by a 580-metre (1,900 ft), two-lane structure, which opened to traffic on 12 December 2011.
570:. Vol. LXXXVII, no. 26409. Christchurch, New Zealand. New Zealand Press Association. 1 May 1951. p. 6
354:
just minutes before a passenger train was due to cross it. 151 of the 285 passengers aboard the train were killed.
317:
439:
182:
411:
388:
379:
collapsed, following near record levels of rain. It was rebuilt and reopened 18 days later on 13 April 2019.
291:
272:
208:
204:
73:
188:
173:, though a 2011 study said there were 1,636 bridges, with a total length of 63.8 km (39.6 mi).
224:
196:
143:
40:
are many and varied but only date back to the beginning of
European settlement in the mid 19th century.
376:
327:
263:
Since there are numerous large rivers in New
Zealand many footbridges have been constructed in the
656:
563:
138:
694:"Astonishing footage captures bridge collapse in Franz Josef as wild weather batters West Coast"
228:
596:
590:
540:
343:
331:
240:
127:
227:
line are still in use by road-traffic only. The single deck
Pekatahi Bridge, which spans the
53:
255:
268:
244:
663:. Vol. LXXXVII, no. 26410. New Zealand Press Association. 2 May 1951. p. 6
363:
200:
148:
91:
720:
351:
216:
85:
23:
633:. New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. 28 November 2022.
18:
192:
165:
There are 1,787 bridges on the rail network in New Zealand which are maintained by
115:
67:
264:
212:
111:
97:
592:
Coal, Class & Community: The United Mineworkers of New Zealand, 1880-1960
412:"Lifetime liabilities of land transport using road and rail infrastructure"
681:
259:
A tramper crossing a swingbridge over a remote river in the South Island.
232:
166:
708:"Vital Waiho River bridge reopens, reconnecting a recovering West Coast"
32:
56:
of the bridges was estimated to be 37.5 times that of their roads.
537:
Rails in the Hinterland: New Zealandâs Vanishing Railway Landscape
347:
254:
132:
17:
294:
spans the Waitemata Harbour in the largest city in New Zealand.
110:
network until December 2011 was the 463-metre (1,519 ft)
494:. Wellington: New Zealand Transport Agency. pp. Page 2
82:
Whirokino Trestle Bridge - 1,098 m (3,602 ft)
267:. During the 1950s many bridges were built, along with
514:"Opening of Kopu bridge is 'best Christmas present'"
79:
Thorndon Overbridges - 1,335 m (4,380 ft)
627:"Division and defeat â The 1951 waterfront dispute"
465:. Blenheim: Marlborough Roads. 2009. Archived from
436:"Transit New Zealand - SH2 Dowse to Petone Upgrade"
657:"Police Search at Huntly: Extensive Inquiry Made"
539:. Wellington: Grantham House. pp. 77, 78.
558:
556:
463:"2009 Customer Survey Results State Highways"
8:
183:List of road-rail bridges § New Zealand
621:
619:
595:. Auckland University Press. p. 292.
516:. Television New Zealand. 12 December 2011
223:Two bridges on now-closed sections of the
375:On 26 March 2019, the Waiho Bridge near
399:
362:In 1986 the New Zealand Army built the
671:– via paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
578:– via paperspast.natlib.govt.nz.
637:from the original on 29 November 2022
191:in Marlborough, and Okahukura in the
70:bridge - 1,757 m (5,764 ft)
7:
405:
403:
100:Bridge - 737 m (2,418 ft)
94:Bridge - 740 m (2,430 ft)
88:Bridge - 906 m (2,972 ft)
48:In 2011 there were 4,024 bridges on
324:1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute
59:Some of the longest bridges on the
14:
424:from the original on 25 May 2021.
211:that have rail lines on the road
171:New Zealand Railways Corporation
169:, the infrastructure arm of the
410:N Mithraratne (December 2011).
326:a rail bridge three miles from
76:- 1,020 m (3,350 ft)
307:Bridge disasters and incidents
285:List of bridges in New Zealand
1:
161:Rail transport in New Zealand
743:
682:Berrymans' bridge timeline
318:Huntly rail bridge bombing
315:
282:
180:
158:
612:– via Google Books.
489:"Kopu Bridge replacement"
312:Waikato bridge dynamiting
589:Richardson, Len (1995).
389:Transport in New Zealand
322:On April 30, during the
292:Auckland Harbour Bridge
205:South Island Main Trunk
74:Auckland Harbour Bridge
727:Bridges in New Zealand
535:McQueen, Euan (2005).
332:Glen Afton branch line
260:
27:
564:"Explosion on Bridge"
358:The Berrymans' bridge
357:
258:
225:East Coast Main Trunk
197:Otago Central Railway
144:Victoria Park Viaduct
61:state highway network
21:
243:, which crosses the
377:Franz Josef Glacier
105:Single lane bridges
261:
139:Percy Burn Viaduct
28:
631:nzhistory.govt.nz
602:978-1-86940-113-9
344:Tangiwai disaster
338:Tangiwai disaster
299:Bridge to Nowhere
241:Karangahake Gorge
237:State Highway Two
215:. Until 2008 the
177:Road/rail bridges
128:Newmarket Viaduct
734:
712:
711:
710:. 13 April 2019.
704:
698:
697:
696:. 26 March 2019.
690:
684:
679:
673:
672:
670:
668:
653:
647:
646:
644:
642:
623:
614:
613:
611:
609:
586:
580:
579:
577:
575:
560:
551:
550:
532:
526:
525:
523:
521:
510:
504:
503:
501:
499:
493:
485:
479:
478:
476:
474:
459:
453:
451:
449:
447:
438:. Archived from
432:
426:
425:
423:
416:
407:
269:backcountry huts
54:carbon footprint
742:
741:
737:
736:
735:
733:
732:
731:
717:
716:
715:
706:
705:
701:
692:
691:
687:
680:
676:
666:
664:
655:
654:
650:
640:
638:
625:
624:
617:
607:
605:
603:
588:
587:
583:
573:
571:
562:
561:
554:
547:
534:
533:
529:
519:
517:
512:
511:
507:
497:
495:
491:
487:
486:
482:
472:
470:
461:
460:
456:
445:
443:
442:on 17 July 2011
434:
433:
429:
421:
414:
409:
408:
401:
397:
385:
373:
360:
340:
320:
314:
309:
287:
281:
279:Notable bridges
253:
245:Ohinemuri River
229:WhakatÄne River
185:
179:
163:
157:
124:
107:
46:
12:
11:
5:
740:
738:
730:
729:
719:
718:
714:
713:
699:
685:
674:
648:
615:
601:
581:
552:
545:
527:
505:
480:
469:on 22 May 2010
454:
427:
398:
396:
393:
392:
391:
384:
381:
372:
369:
364:Te Rata Bridge
359:
356:
339:
336:
316:Main article:
313:
310:
308:
305:
304:
303:
295:
280:
277:
252:
249:
201:braided rivers
178:
175:
156:
153:
152:
151:
149:Mohaka Viaduct
146:
141:
136:
130:
123:
120:
106:
103:
102:
101:
95:
92:Hokitika River
89:
83:
80:
77:
71:
50:State Highways
45:
42:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
739:
728:
725:
724:
722:
709:
703:
700:
695:
689:
686:
683:
678:
675:
662:
658:
652:
649:
636:
632:
628:
622:
620:
616:
604:
598:
594:
593:
585:
582:
569:
565:
559:
557:
553:
548:
546:1-86934-094-9
542:
538:
531:
528:
515:
509:
506:
490:
484:
481:
468:
464:
458:
455:
441:
437:
431:
428:
420:
413:
406:
404:
400:
394:
390:
387:
386:
382:
380:
378:
370:
368:
365:
355:
353:
352:Mount Ruapehu
349:
345:
337:
335:
333:
329:
325:
319:
311:
306:
300:
296:
293:
289:
288:
286:
278:
276:
274:
270:
266:
257:
250:
248:
246:
242:
238:
234:
230:
226:
221:
218:
217:Awatere River
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
184:
176:
174:
172:
168:
162:
154:
150:
147:
145:
142:
140:
137:
134:
131:
129:
126:
125:
121:
119:
117:
114:spanning the
113:
104:
99:
96:
93:
90:
87:
86:Waitaki River
84:
81:
78:
75:
72:
69:
66:
65:
64:
62:
57:
55:
51:
43:
41:
39:
35:
34:
25:
24:Arahura River
22:The historic
20:
16:
702:
688:
677:
665:. Retrieved
660:
651:
639:. Retrieved
630:
606:. Retrieved
591:
584:
572:. Retrieved
567:
536:
530:
518:. Retrieved
508:
496:. Retrieved
483:
471:. Retrieved
467:the original
457:
444:. Retrieved
440:the original
430:
374:
371:Waiho Bridge
361:
341:
321:
262:
222:
193:King Country
186:
164:
155:Rail bridges
116:Waihou River
108:
68:Rakaia River
58:
47:
44:Road bridges
37:
31:
29:
15:
667:20 November
498:18 February
473:18 February
265:backcountry
251:Footbridges
213:carriageway
112:Kopu Bridge
98:Haast River
38:New Zealand
641:3 December
608:4 December
574:4 December
520:12 January
395:References
283:See also:
275:(hiking).
209:West Coast
181:See also:
159:See also:
446:4 January
330:, on the
721:Category
635:Archived
419:Archived
383:See also
302:farming.
273:tramping
235:carries
233:Taneatua
167:KiwiRail
122:Viaducts
135:Viaduct
33:bridges
599:
543:
328:Huntly
189:Seddon
661:Press
568:Press
492:(PDF)
422:(PDF)
415:(PDF)
350:from
348:lahar
231:near
133:Otira
63:are:
669:2022
643:2022
610:2022
597:ISBN
576:2022
541:ISBN
522:2012
500:2010
475:2010
452:FAQs
448:2010
342:The
297:The
290:The
30:The
36:in
723::
659:.
629:.
618:^
566:.
555:^
417:.
402:^
645:.
549:.
524:.
502:.
477:.
450:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
