The vehicle is believed to have exited Wills Street, careened across State Highway 1 and crashed into the ramp of the footbridge at around 4pm on Tuesday in what is understood to be a medical event.
Hato Hone St John confirmed two people were injured, with one person taken to Ashburton hospital in a moderate condition and the other person suffering minor injuries.
The Ashburton District Council closed access to the footbridge that runs between West Street/SH1 and East Street over the railway line.
Infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said a structural assessment was undertaken today [on Wednesday] and the report will be available by the end of the week.
He confirmed there’s no danger of it falling down.
McCann said the historic footbridge, like all the roads and roading infrastructure, like bridges and signs, is not insured, which is” common practice at all councils”.
McCann said the historic footbridge, like all the roads and roading infrastructure, like bridges and signs, is not insured, which is” common practice at all councils”
Any repair work will likely be included in the overall restoration project, but the incident would not bring the work forward McCann said.
“Council plans to have the contract awarded before Christmas, with work starting early 2026.”
“We will not know the actual cost until it is tendered.
“The removal of the truss off-site to do the work will depend on the contractor’s methodology.”
The council adopted a conservation management plan for the footbridge in 2023, committing to the maintenance and renewal of the historic structure when funds were available.
Those funds were budgeted in the latest long-term plan for 2025/26 and included in the annual plan adopted in May.
At the other end of Ashburton, another piece of historic railway infrastructure is getting repairs after being crashed into.
The Tinwald viaduct is closed to vehicles until KiwiRail can repair an overhead beam that was damaged by an excavator being towed on a trailer a week ago.
The excavator exceeded the 2.39m clearance, hitting the bridge.
The bridge remains safe for trains to use, but the road below it (Melcombe Street) will be closed as a precautionary measure until repairs to the impact beam are made.
History of the footbridge
The Railway Footbridge was constructed in 1917 and is the key surviving feature from the Ashburton Railway Station complex following the demolition of the main station building in 2013.
The Railway Footbridge, with its bowstring truss, is the only remaining bridge in New Zealand of its type in its original location and used for the original purpose.
Initially, the east end of the bridge had ramps descending at right angles both towards the town centre and to the station building, but the northeast ramp was removed in 1983.
The Ashburton Railway Station, opened in 1917, remained a busy thoroughfare until the 1980s, when the number of passenger trains was steadily reduced.
In 2002, the passenger train service stopped altogether, and the station building was demolished in 2013.
The footbridge was gifted to the council around 2010.
By Jonathan Leask, Local Democracy Reporter
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
