History will play a role in a special event tomorrow marking the start of construction of two new bridges across the Waitaki River between Kurow and Hakataramea.
The twin wooden bridges, completed and opened in 1881, were originally built for rail but were also single-lane links on SH82 across the river.
The north bridge on the Waimate side is the longest remaining wooden Howe truss bridge in the South Island.
But over the past three years lobbying has been intense after the bridges have been closed by flood flows in the river, leading to the $18.5 million project of two, two-lane bridges with a pedestrian-cycleway along the side.
Although aged and reaching the end of their life, the bridges still provide a vital link for goods and services between the local rural communities and access for the growing number of tourists heading inland to the Lindis Pass or Mackenzie Country.
History will play its role in tomorrow's events, with shovels, a pick and wheelbarrow dating back to the construction of the Waitaki Dam being used in the sod-turning ceremony.
The event is expected to be a true community celebration, with the local communities of Hakataramea and Kurow invited to attend.
