Bridge works begin on Manawatū Gorge replacement highway

Monday, 22 March 2021

The new Parahaki Bridge will connect Ashhurst to the rest of Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatū Tararua Highway.

Work on a major part of the long-awaited new highway between Manawatū and Hawke’s Bay is under way.

A 300-metre bridge over the Manawatū River will soon take shape, connecting Ashhurst to the rest of Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatū Tararua Highway.

To allow it to happen a temporary bridge will be built next to it and the construction of this began on Monday.

Building the Parahaki Bridge over the river was expected to take about 3½ years, said Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency project spokesman Lonnie Dalzell.

The Parahaki Bridge will have a span of 300 metres.

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The $620 million highway project, replacing State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge, is due to be finished by the end of 2024. Construction began in January.

The bridge construction is visible from a viewing platform the highway project alliance has created at the new car park for the Manawatū Gorge walk.

“At the moment [people] will be able to see the access track that's gone down into there.

A temporary bridge will stand next to the Manawatū River bridge to allow its construction.

“Over the next week they’ll start seeing the piling, the sheet piling for the bridge.”

The foundation work would continue for the next three months.

Across the river another 300 metre bridge will take motorists over sensitive wetland ahead of a step climb up the southern tips of the Ruahine Range.

Work on the second bridge is also about to begin with the felling of pine trees on the construction site.

Unlike some earthworks, work on the bridge building would mostly be able to continue during poor weather over winter, Dalzell said.

“The good thing about structures is once they’re off the ground they’re not that weather dependent.”

The bridge over the Manawatū River – a variable-depth box girder – featured a central pier and construction would work outwards from that, hence the need for a temporary structure next to it allowing workers and equipment access.

“The deck itself is about 25 metres above the river level.”

At the peak of construction about 60 people will be working on the bridge.

Dalzell said the inland bridge was a more standard construction, with narrower distances between the piers.

It’s estimated the new road will take about 13 minutes to drive, a much shorter trip than the windy Saddle Rd about 6000 vehicles a day now use.

Dalzell said the project remained on track to be completed on time.

“It's really good to see the works happening. We’re on programme.”