$170,000 bridge upgrades to help prevent repeat of floods

The Omarama Stream Bridge has been strengthened to give the community ‘‘peace of mind’’ in the wake of significant flooding which struck several years ago.

Upgrades to the structure, on State Highway 8 just outside the town, were recently completed by the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) with the aim of making the bridge more resilient and reducing flooding risk.

The project took three weeks to complete and final costs were expected to be around $170,000, which was described as ‘‘good value for money’’ by NZTA maintenance and operations lower South Island area manager Chris Harris.

‘‘It also provides peace of mind for those living and working in the Omarama area as we see more frequent flooding events in New Zealand.’’

There were significant floods in Omarama in 2009 and 2022, with the latter stopping traffic on SH8 after the swollen Omarama Stream cut the major bridge approach.

‘‘Rock rip rap’’ was a method used to shore up the bridge, which involved the placement of large rocks to prevent erosion, an NZTA statement said.

Mr Harris said it was ‘‘always satisfying to complete projects like this one that have a very clear benefit for both the highway network and the local community’’.

‘‘Contractors for NZTA removed built-up sediment, overgrown vegetation and opened up the waterway at the Lindis Pass end of the bridge, increasing the water-carrying capacity under the bridge.

‘‘Stopbank construction work has provided protection against flood waters, while use of rock that we call rip rap has been installed in the stream bed to strengthen the piers that hold up the bridge and prevent erosion and scouring.’’

Waitaki district councillor Brent Cowles said he was pleased to see the work completed after the damage and concerns caused by the last major flooding events.

‘‘You’d be brave to say we’ve beaten Mother Nature, but we’ve certainly made her work a lot harder next time.

‘‘Increasing capacity under the bridge, protecting against erosion and improving flood resilience gives us a much better chance of protecting Omarama and keeping this critical transport link open during future weather events.

Resilient infrastructure was very important to rural communities such as Omarama, he said.

‘‘Projects like this are about learning from past events and making sensible investments that help protect people, property, and connectivity for years to come.’’