Solutions considered for damaged Tararua rail overbridge
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A section of the Oringi rail overbridge, south of Dannevirke, was damaged when hit by a truck last week.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency is working with its bridge engineers on options for repairing the Oringi rail overbridge on State Highway 2 in Tararua.
Up to 15 metres of the concrete barrier on the side of the northbound lane on the bridge south of Dannevirke was severely damaged when hit by a truck last week.
The bridge remained structurally sound and had been assessed as safe to travel across.
It was currently down to single-lane use and under temporary traffic management with reduced speeds while a longer term solution was found.
Waka Kotahi Manawatu-Whanganui-Taranaki system manager Rob Service said the priority was to get the bridge back to double-lane use, albeit under traffic management.
"The damaged bridge is near one of our current roadworks sites, at Maharahara, which means road users should expect significant delays in the area of up to 30 minutes.
"However, once the roadworks at Maharahara are complete, scheduled to be sealed before Easter, then the delay will drop to around 15 minutes.
"There are no suitable detours available currently as some of the surrounding roads are too narrow to be used as an alternative."
Waka Kotahi was awaiting a bridge engineer's report to determine the best options for a longer-term solution.
"The safety of all road users is an absolute priority.
"We know delays will be frustrating and we really appreciate the patience and understanding of everyone who will be using the road while it's under traffic management."
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