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A new strut was successfully installed and tensioned on the Auckland Harbor Bridge, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) announced on Sunday.
Last month, a truck overturned by 127k / ph winds caused significant damage to the bridge structure, leading to major traffic disruptions. The bridge is the main infrastructure connecting Auckland’s CBD and the southern suburbs to the North Shore, and is the gateway to the northern regions of New Zealand.
The replacement of the damaged rod was completed overnight on Saturday, NZTA confirmed. Three northbound lanes and three southbound lanes will open later Sunday morning, meaning the bridge is still operating at 75 percent capacity.
“The new strut is now in place and has been tensioned, which is great progress and a significant step forward in bringing the bridge back into operation,” says Brett Gliddon, general manager of transportation services for Waka Kotahi.
“We have made good progress, but we need to monitor the strut in the next few days to see how the entire bridge is performing with the new piece in place … We are not taking any chances and we will not open all eight lanes until we are completely confident that it is safe to do so. “
All is well, there will be no more night closings and the agency could reopen all eight lanes later in the week, Gliddon said.
Until further information is provided, motorists are advised to opt for public transportation or the western ring route, via State Highways 16 and 18, rather than the Harbor Bridge, and allow plenty of time for their travels .
The strut replacement occurs just over two weeks after the damage occurred, despite NZTA’s initial estimate that the repair could take five weeks to complete.
Gliddon held a press conference to update the media on the replacement and installation of the strut at 11 a.m. Sunday.
See the report above.
