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An historic Auckland bridge will close next month for a $7 million upgrade after a survey found it was not safe for heavy traffic.
Construction of the Grafton Bridge, which crosses Grafton Gully between Auckland's central business district and Auckland Hospital, began in 1908.
However, it was built without earthquake resistance and the Auckland City Council said remedial work over the next 15 months would bring it up to modern environment and transport standards.
Ken Baguley, the chairman of the council's transport committee, said today a recent survey had found the bridge was not safe for heavy traffic.
"At the moment the buses don't go over it so I guess you could say it is unsafe for traffic above a certain weight," he said.
The bridge would remain open to pedestrians throughout the remedial work.
The bridge is one of the busiest in Auckland and its closure is expected to cause a big headache for inner city traffic trying to reach the hospital, the Auckland Domain, Newmarket or other destinations east of the city.
Strengthening work includes the installation of steel bar reinforcing, strengthening the bridge beams with carbon fibre and the installation of reinforcing to resist horizontal earthquake movement.
The bridge would close to traffic from October 25 but was expected to reopen in time for its centennial celebrations early in 2010.
When the 98 metre bridge opened in 1910 it was the world's longest single-span concrete bridge. It was 43 metres above Grafton Gully and was listed as an historic New Zealand place.
- NZPA
