Replacement bridge nears completion

LOOKS FAMILIAR: Three cranes were needed to position the arches in place on the new Wyley's Bridge.PHOTO/ SUPPLIED 05052015WCSUPWYLEYS1

The latest span over the Whangaehu River inland from Wanganui is nearing completion.

Yesterday three cranes manoeuvred the arches into place on top of the new Wyley's Bridge a few kilometres east of Fordell.

The option of either upgrading or replacing the bridge has been on Wanganui District Council's long-term plan for a number of years.

Infrastructure manager Mark Hughes said the council had assessed both the engineering and economic aspects of the structure and decided replacing the bridge was the best value-for-money option.

Four tenders were received and Concrete Structures price of $2.3 million was accepted last October. This same company designed and built Mangamahu Bridge 47, and Wyley's Bridge is almost identical. Mangamahu Bridge 47 spans the Mangawhero River and replaces the original bridge washed away in the 2006 floods.

"This project really got going last financial year when the Mangamahu community put forward $200,000 to start the project," Mr Hughes said.

A prerequisite of Wyley's Bridge was that it had to be a class 1, one-lane-wide structure which met NZ Transport Agency standards.

Mr Hughes said a feature of the replacement was the partial deconstruction of the existing bridge, with the supporting structure remaining as a heritage feature.