After more than four months' work, a new bridge crossing the Waianakarua River at Graves dam was officially opened to motorists this week.
The Waitaki District Council began the $400,000 project to replace the 1930-vintage bridge at the end of February, and council roading assets manager Michael Voss said the new bridge opened on Wednesday.
"The existing bridge had gone past its use-by date - it couldn't take any weighted loads over it." Wednesday's opening was also welcomed by local residents. A detour, off Breakneck Rd, had been in place since the start of the project and resident Neville Lean said locals were happy they no longer had to use the "bumpy and windy detour via the gravel pit".
Council network engineer Graeme Butler oversaw the project, and although he said there had been "no real challenges" building the new bridge, the same could not be said for the temporary Bailey bridge used on the primary detour route.
A second 13km bypass using forest roads was also needed in case flooding affected the first one.
