Whangārei’s harbour bridge Te Matau ā Pohe turns 10

Boaties who want to raise the bridge can all Te Matau ā Pohe bridge controller, David Gray. Photo / Tania Whyte

This week marks 10 years since the opening of Whangārei’s harbour bridge, Te Matau ā Pohe.

The bridge officially opened on July 27, 2013, when the Northland Transportation Alliance (NTA) predicted it would carry 8000 vehicles daily.

But from day one, it has exceeded this number. Today, 40 per cent more vehicles cross the bridge daily – more than 11,000.

As well as being a vital link between communities, Te Matau ā Pohe has enabled dozens of activities and attractions around the popular Hātea Loop area.

NTA matau operation specialist traffic safety Brendon Tong said the bridge was a key anchor project that allowed the entire area to be redeveloped and turned into a “community asset”.

In the 10 years since Te Matau ā Pohe opened, the Camera Obscura, Pūtahi Park and adventure playground have all opened in the area.

“It has been the thing that has started the council on the infrastructure journey, modernising and upgrading the CBD area we enjoy today,” Tong said.

The bridge has become a favourite for walkers, joggers and cyclists, connecting to the bike park and Onerahi shared path.

Inspired by the design of Māori fish hooks crafted from bone, the bridge provides a gateway for boats entering and exiting the Town Basin.

Tong said you are not legally allowed to block navigable waterways, such as the Hātea River.

To put in a bridge high enough to deal with vessels with long masts would have been too expensive and meant the approaches were too steep.

Therefore, to build and operate the bridge NTA had to come to an arrangement with marine users.

Together, they worked with the district council and regional council through the resource consent process.

“As part of that, to balance up the rights of road users with marine users, we have two non-opening periods,” Tong said.

In March this year, these periods were extended from 90 minutes to two hours during peak road traffic times to alleviate traffic congestion.

On average, the bridge lifts about five times per day. It had made 10,000 lifts by the beginning of 2018 and currently is at over 28,000.

Te Matau ā Pohe can also be raised on-demand during operating hours by the bridge controllers. Boaties can either radio on VHF channel 018 or ring the controllers to lift the bridge.

Outside operating hours, there can be a 30-minute wait for the operator on-call to open the bridge. Raising and lowering the bridge for one vessel takes five to seven minutes.

David Gray sits by the bridge controls. Photo / Tania Whyte

When the bridge was first opened, there were some expansion issues.

A normal bridge has expansion joints the whole way across. However, the bascule, or lifting section, of Te Matau ā Pohe is the only part allowing for movement.

“There were a few modifications we had to do because, with having several 30C days in a row, our allowance, which was done in the original design, was well and truly exceeded,” Tong said.

“You could have the bridge down, you could raise the bridge, but the expansion would kick in as you were raising the bridge. So the structure would actually grow.”

The expansions caused a few anxious moments for operators in the beginning, as they could open the bascule but would struggle to lower it.

Organisations can request for Te Matau ā Pohe to be lit up in beautiful colours to commemorate special events. The bridge has been lit blue to mark its 10th birthday.