The second bridge across the Waitaki River (right) on State Highway 82 is in the final stages of construction, ready for an official opening on Saturday.
It is part of a $20.1 million project building two two-lane concrete bridges with a walk-cycle way, to replace the two single-lane wooden bridges constructed in 1881.
The shorter bridge across the south branch of the river, on the Kurow side, was officially opened on April 4 by Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean before a crowd of about 400.
On Saturday, she will do the honours again, in a ceremony starting at 12.30pm.
New Zealand Transport Agency's highway manager Colin Knaggs said the guard rails, hand rails and construction of the new approaches for the second bridge were under way.
Some work would remain to widen the approaches and extend the guard rail once the old timber bridge had been deconstructed in the next few months.
