New Buller bridge near Murchison this year

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32566, 27 March 1971, Page 3

New Buller bridge near Murchison this year

(From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, March 26. A three-span bridge over the Buller River about 100 yards upstream from the site of the old O’Sullivans bridge is to be built this year.

Plans being prepared by the Ministry of Works are expected to be completed by August and it is hoped to begin construction by December. The new bridge is estimated to cost $200,000. It will replace a Bailey bridge erected early in 1961 after the 50-year-old O’Sullivans bridge had collapsed into the river under a heavy load in February that year. The department plans to use British Calendar-Hamil-ton prefabricated, interlocking units for the bridge. These were brought into New Zealand by the Government and sufficient units are available.

The bridge serves the Buller Gorge and the West Coast from Murchison and the Nelson province. It is about eight miles from Murchison, at the junction of the Buller Gorge and Murchi-son-Maruia highways. Work due The senior engineer of the Ministry of Works in Nelson (Mr W. J. Griffin) said it was decided to do the work this year because the 230 ft Bailey bridge across the river was due for servicing and inspection. Its removal-and replacement would be expensive and

would cause considerable disruption to traffic. The new bridge, using the Hamilton system, could be built in a matter of weeks and erected while the Bailey bridge was still in use.

The upstream site chosen would permit the building of piers on rock foundations, said Mr Griffin. These would take the first two 70ft spans and support the centre span of 140 ft and the bridge’s concrete decking. The new site would require about half a mile of new reading. Trouble stopped One big trouble spot on the Buller Gorge, at O’Rourke’s Creek, was eliminated when the department erected a temporary Bailey bridge. The approaches to the old bridge have demanded considerable driving care and in recent years two trucks have left the road here and plunged 180 ft down the banks. A new bridge is also being planned for this site and its construction will be timed to coincide with the completion of the new O’Sullivan’s bridge. Takaka bridge Future major works in the Nelson province include a new 800 ft bridge across the Takaka River at Waitapu,

just outside Takaka. This area has been the scene of severe flooding in recent years. The old wooden bridge is being demolished and a Bailey bridge spans the river. This is also due for replacement after 10 years service. It will be superseded next month by a new Bailey bridge with a 30-ton load capacity. The department plans to build the new concrete bridge here within two years. It will cross at an acute angle to allow for a 70 m.p.h. speed curve.