Traffic disruption is expected in Auckland tomorrow morning as holidaymakers return to find Grafton Bridge in the central city closed for strengthening.
The historic bridge will be closed for 18 months.
Grafton Bridge is a key thoroughfare in Auckland, and its closure spells potential problems for commuters and emergency services.
"Crews will have to find some alternate routes around the bridge," says Richard Swears of St John Ambulance. "Obviously it is one of our routes towards Auckland Hospital, but there are a number of alternate routes that we can use to get to the hospital still.
The bridge was completed in 1910 to connect the inner city with a new hospital and the sports grounds of the Domain. It was the largest single span concrete bridge in the world. At its opening two steamrollers were driven across the bridge to convince doubters it was sturdy enough.
Ninety-eight years later, it is being strengthened to make it able to withstand a one-in-a-thousand-year earthquake.
Historically, Grafton Bridge was a place for jumpers, forcing the instalment of perspex shields in the 1990s.
The bridge is also shelter to many of Auckland's homeless people. They have been told to move on when fencing goes up tomorrow.
"Clearly for those who are living there at the moment it will be disruptive," says Wilf Holt of the Auckland City Mission. "It is only for three months but they're very resourceful people, they'll find another possie pretty quickly."
There are plans for the bridge to handle 1200 buses a day when re-opened. Originally cars were going to be banned during the day, but that proposal is being reviewed.
3 News
source: newshub archive
