Auckland Harbor Bridge: Permanent repair expected in four to five weeks, says NZTA

Permanent repairs to Auckland’s shattered Harbor Bridge should be complete in four to five weeks, the New Zealand Transport Agency said on Wednesday.

Two lanes on the bridge reopened Wednesday morning after the installation of an overnight fix was successful.

NZTA Transportation Services General Manager Brett Gliddon told reporters that people should continue to use public transportation and that heavy vehicles should try to avoid crossing the bridge for the next four to five weeks until make permanent repairs.

“We went in last night and closed the Harbor Bridge and put in a temporary prop. The job went incredibly well, we are very happy that we were able to complete that job in one night. “

While the work done would improve congestion, Gliddon said they were not out of the woods yet.

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“We still have to manage the bridge until we get a permanent solution. It is not at its maximum capacity to carry loads.

“The bridge is still in a vulnerable state. That temporary prop is not supporting any load, so the load on the bridge is still distributed throughout the bridge.”

Attention now turned to designing a permanent solution, creating a design, and sourcing steel for a new strut.

Heavy trucks were a concern on the bridge, Gliddon said, and the NZTA was encouraging heavy vehicles to travel the western ring route.

Auckland commuters have faced long delays this week after damage caused by a freak accident on Friday when two trucks were hit by high winds, causing the closure of half of the bridge’s lanes.

NZTA said the lower half of the damaged 22.7-meter strut was replaced overnight with a “freshly fabricated” steel section.

The temporary repair was completed after specialized bridge builders and engineers evaluated the damage, designed a new strut, and planned the repair before manufacturing the strut.

Gliddon said there were perfect weather conditions on the bridge overnight and progress was faster than expected.

“There was very little wind, good temperatures and visibility, which meant the team was able to install the new section and carry out the tests in one night.

“This temporary repair allows two additional lanes (one northbound lane and one southbound lane) on the central span of the bridge to be opened to traffic. The two outer clip-on lanes are also open, which means three lanes in each direction. “

The lanes of the central section remain closed.

Gliddon said that while the lane reopening was good news, the bridge’s temporary prop is still in a compromised state and loads on the bridge will need to be handled with care.

“This will remain until the permanent solution is in place and the bridge can again support its full weight capacity.”

The agency is now working on a permanent repair of the damage that will cause all lanes to reopen.

Just after 7 a.m., the third lane heading into the city was reopened. Ninety minutes later, a third lane headed toward the North Shore reopened.

Traffic has dropped considerably on the network, however, NZTA said overall lane capacity remains low.

“Please continue to consider working from home, using public transportation or, if possible, rerouting via the Western Ring Road.”

More established ferry services

Fullers360 is reclaiming 30-minute off-peak departures on its Devonport route, nearly doubling the frequency of this service throughout the day, in a bid to reduce congestion on the bridge.

This means that the services will operate with a 30-minute frequency from 5.45 am to 12.00 am from Monday to Friday. This is in addition to the current 15 minute frequency available from 7:30 a.m. M. At 8:30 a. M. During rush hour travel Monday through Friday.

The time change will provide 14 more services to and from Auckland’s financial district each day.

Fullers said the additional frequency will be a temporary measure for at least the next two weeks and will be reassessed as the situation evolves.

Fullers360 CEO Mike Horne said the schedule changes were a move to urgently support Devonport and neighboring communities.

“We recognize that our role is crucial to the broader public transportation network, particularly now, where there are additional challenges for all North Shore communities trying to get in and out of the city.”

How exactly did this happen?

At around 11 a.m. Friday, sudden strong gusts brought down two trucks as they crossed the bridge, Gliddon said.

One was on top of the bridge when it was knocked over by a gust and crashed into a steel beam, twisting the metal and cutting it where it connected to the bridge below the road surface.

Gliddon said the wind was 60km / h before it shot out to a 127km / h gust before subsiding again.

“We were hit by an absolutely monstrous gust of wind that caught a truck that was right at the top of the bridge.

“That is really difficult to design.”

The beam did what it was supposed to do, cutting the bolts, rather than pulling and damaging other support members, with its load transferred to other supports in the steel truss.

The bridge is still able to stand on its own, but engineers are unwilling to allow traffic on the original inner lanes, which opened in 1959.

The two outer rails on each side, trimmed 10 years after opening, have their own support structure and are not dependent on damaged armor.