Anglers will be happy to know Poingdestres Bridge is now open, and they can once again access the fishing grounds after more than 10 months of closure due to weaknesses found during a routine inspection. Game hunters will also be happy they can access the southern end of Wainono Lagoon in time for the upcoming duck shooting season.
Severe decay was found in two of the piles on the seaward side of the bridge. A specialised underwater diving inspection was then completed to confirm that it was just these two piles that needed repair. A sleeving method was used to repair the affected piles without the need for heavy equipment as there is limited access to the site.
The work was carried out by Divepro Ltd, a commercial diving company based in Dunedin. The repairs have been funded out of the current bridge maintenance budget with an estimated total cost of $40,000.
The bridge is now open to vehicles not exceeding weights of 3000kg axles, 5000kg gross.
