Construction company wins big award for Wairoa River Cycleway Bridge

The cycleway which has been added to the existing SH2 Wairoa River Bridge. Photo / Supplied

Napier-based construction company Eastbridge has won a top national award for its work on the SH2 Wairoa River Cycleway Bridge.

Eastbridge wowed the judges at the Steel Construction New Zealand (SCNZ) Excellence in Steel Awards held at the start of this month.

Not only did the company win its category - $1.5m to $3m category - but it also scooped the highest honour at the awards night, the Supreme Award.

Eastbridge was recognised for its multi-million dollar project widening the Wairoa River Bridge to allow cyclists and pedestrians to safely cross the 177m-long bridge.

Neither the bridge's deck nor the pier columns offered adequate spare capacity to retrofit a cycleway extension at deck level.

The company instead used lightweight, modular steel construction to add a cycleway to the existing bridge in a safe and innovative manner.

The eye-catching "clip-on" is now in use along the side of the existing bridge for walkers and cyclists.

It did not require any new structures to be built in the bed of the river itself.

A close-up of the steel work to the existing bridge. It meant no new structures had to be built into the river itself. Photo / Supplied

"It demonstrates smart design and construction, and steel's attributes have combined to allow a cycleway to be added to an existing bridge without any strengthening works," the judges commented.

The project required about 210 tonnes of steel.

The Wairoa River Bridge is part of the Omokoroa to Tauranga Cycleway Trail, and the new cycleway and walkway has provided a safe crossing for the community.

The awards were held at the Hilton hotel in Auckland.

Napier-based structural steel fabricator Red Steel was another high-performing local. The company was a finalist for its work on the Hawke's Bay Airport expansion.

Eastbridge has previously won an award for its work on the Manawatu Cycleway Bridge.

The firm has previously been named as a finalist for its work on Transmission Gully, Palmerston North's Central Energy Trust Arena Plaza Bridge and Auckland's Southern Corridor Interchange.