Preparing to span river

Photo supplied
Photo supplied
Piers either side of the Tekapo River are prepared on Tuesday for the final part of construction of a footbridge that will span 115m across the river, joining the Lake Tekapo township to the Church of the Good Shepherd.

The final stage of the six-year $2 million project - the placement of the steel deck - is expected to be completed in the next month.

Lake Tekapo Footbridge Committee spokeswoman Margaret Munro said a small crane would install the approaches to the bridge in the next couple of weeks.

After that a 500-tonne crane, transported to Lake Tekapo in a relay of about 50 trucks, would take about a week to lift into place the seven major sections, including a central arch, of the bridge.

The bridge was expected to be completed by October 26.

Mrs Munro said the committee hoped the architecturally designed bridge would become as much a feature of the Tekapo landscape as the Church of the Good Shepherd.

It would also mitigate safety issues for visitors who at present had to cross a busy state highway to get to the church from the township.

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