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Work has begun on a controversial Christchurch bridge that was once an artistic attraction for the central city.
Instead, Christchurch will obtain a 32-meter-long, low-maintenance concrete bridge that will cost $ 3.1 million (including $ 600,000 in design, engineering, and professional services) to cross the Avon River between the Oxford and Cambridge terraces.
It is being built by Fulton Hogan for the ātākaro Crown Reconstruction Agency, and is expected to be completed next year, depending on the weather and Covid-19 restrictions.
ÅŒtÄ karo / Supplied
Artist’s impression of the footbridge under construction to cross the Avon River.
Ōtākaro organized a design contest that cost $ 90,000 for the project in 2017, receiving 13 entries. The contest was abandoned in 2018 due to perceived concerns by the city council about maintenance costs. Instead, a basic design from the engineering firm Beca was chosen.
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The move sparked outrage from those who participated in the contest and prompted Mayor Lianne Dalziel to advocate for the reinstallation of one of the previous designs.
She was unsuccessful, but the simple design was spruced up with features on the concrete floor and balustrades were added.
Supplied
Sculptor Graham Bennett’s designs for an art bridge in central Christchurch, which entered the scrapped competition.
Ōtākaro chief executive John Bridgman said infrastructure projects would be an important part of the region’s economic recovery and that there would be between five and eight people working on the site for much of the year.
He said the bridge was being built at a “naturally desirable crossing point” and would facilitate travel for people heading to or from the north of the city, or to the planned precinct of the Catholic Church.
“To achieve a bridge that is attractive and easy to maintain, the bridge will be constructed of concrete rather than steel. Steel structures require more maintenance and are susceptible to corrosion. “
Matapopore Charitable Trust was part of the group that added design elements to the bridge.
President Aroha Rerit-Crofts said the balustrades would feature harakeke blades, a symbol of strength and a reference to joining arms as a way to cross rivers.
“The pattern of the flowing river engraved on the bridge deck represents the concept of Ki uta ki tai (from mountains to sea), which recognizes the important connections between people and communities, people and land, and people And the water”.
Around 1,400 native plants will be planted on the banks of the river to help the bridge integrate into the landscape.
