Council contractors have installed two bright yellow metal cylinders at each end of the Clutha River crossing to prevent over-sized vehicles using the bridge about 25km northwest of Balclutha.
Clydevale farmer and engineer Chas Kenny contacted the Otago Daily Times in February about damaged safety rails on both sides of the 90-year-old, single-lane bridge.
‘‘Proper Armco [metal] barriers would allow for the type of traffic that uses it nowadays,’’ he said at the time.
A council spokesperson said the bollards were a measure to restrict over-sized traffic from damaging the bridge sides.
‘‘The bollards have been installed to prevent any oversized vehicle that is wider than the deck of the bridge from entering.
‘‘It would appear the majority of damage to the bridge palings has been made by oversized vehicles with one wheel on top of the bridge’s kerb to fit. The kerbs are not designed to carry the weight of traffic, and deviation... causes significant damage to the palings.
‘‘The bollards are the same width as the kerb, to prevent vehicles any wider from entering.’’
A contractor will install new side rails to the bridge over the coming weeks.
