Wynyard Crossing bridge breaks again: Auckland waterfront disconnected during bumper tourism season

The general manager of a five-star hotel on Auckland’s waterfront is livid at the inconvenience and disruption caused by a broken footbridge which is sporadically severing pedestrian access between the Wynyard Quarter, Viaduct and downtown.

Ahead of the Auckland Anniversary Weekend, with a slew of events on around the waterfront, and with three cruise ships expected over as many days, there were concerns about how businesses would be affected if the tens of thousands who usually used the bridge were diverted.

The Wynyard Crossing bridge, which was built for $3.7 million and opened in 2011, broke last November and was closed. A week later, the fault was repaired and the bridge was reopened.

Then, on January 12, another “intermittent” fault was discovered and the bridge was closed again, a spokeswoman for Eke Panuku Auckland Development said.

It reopened on January 17, but the Herald understands pedestrian access over the bridge had since been unpredictable and unreliable.

Wynyard Crossing was built to raise and lower its span to accommodate boats passing below.

The Wynyard Crossing bridge was closed yesterday. Photo / Michael Craig

The general manager of the Park Hyatt in Viaduct Harbour, Brett Sweetman, told the Herald: “It is inconvenient for everyone. It’s impacting our colleagues coming to work, and they are getting complaints from our guests because they can’t access Quay St and Commercial Bay easily.

“It’s the main thoroughfare connecting the CBD to the Wynyard area and it’s been out of operation. Particularly at this time of year - it’s tourism season. We had cruise ships in last week, and all the businesses down here are being hit as a result [of the fault],” Sweetman said.

“The major impact for the international guests here who want to go on a ferry to Waiheke, normally they just walk across the bridge, a 10-minute walk and they’re at the ferry terminal. But now, we ask them to go around the marina. It’s terribly inconvenient.

“It’s not really the best way to showcase the city when you’ve got [major] events happening,” he said.

The Park Hyatt Auckland at Wynyard Quarter. Photo / Stephanie Holmes

The spokeswoman for Eke Panuku Auckland Development said the fault was in the control system that raised and lowered the bridge.

Then, as workers attempted to fix the issue, they discovered an “underlying problem with the motor brake system”, and new parts had to be ordered from overseas. It would take “some time” for these parts to arrive due to their size and weight.

“When issues occur, we are required by resource consent to leave the bridge in an upright position to allow free access to marine traffic,” the spokeswoman said.

“We understand that this causes a significant disruption to pedestrians and cyclists which impacts foot traffic for Wynyard Quarter businesses and activities.

“When this happens, we proactively utilise a range of channels to let users know, including stakeholder updates, social media posts and signage around Wynyard Quarter.”

On January 12 an intermittent' fault was discovered and the Wynyard Crossing bridge was closed again, after being out of action in November. Photo / Michael Craig

While the new parts for the motor and drive system were shipped, Eke Panuku had been trying to set up “several temporary initiatives” as a stop-gap measure.

“From the results of our tests so far, we believe that the hydraulic brake system will work and there will be little disruption to pedestrians this weekend,” the spokeswoman said.

However, she warned people to plan detours in case another fault occurred.

The Wynyard Crossing Bridge on Auckland's waterfront also broke in November last year. Photo / Jason Oxenham

With events like the Red Bull Cliff Diving Finale and the Auckland International Buskers’ Festival, Eke Panuku said people should plan a detour, arrive early so they’re not late if a fault occurs or use a different public transport route so they don’t have to cross the bridge.

“We apologise for these unplanned technical faults and the disruption that this is causing and have instigated ways to lessen the effect on both pedestrians and marine traffic should there be further issues,” the Eke Panuku spokeswoman said.

The Wynyard Crossing was built as part of a $120m development of the city’s waterfront. It was only supposed to be a temporary bridge, and the intention was that it would ultimately be replaced by a “more robust” structure .

In 2019, when ideas were proposed for a new bridge, Panuku Development Auckland said: “The existing Wynyard Crossing, which has become a critical transport connection, was installed as a temporary structure for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It is reaching the end of its useful life and needs frequent and costly repairs to keep it running smoothly.”

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.