Springvale Suspension Bridge
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The Springvale Suspension Bridge ( Springvale suspension bridge ) is a road bridge on the Napier - Taihape- Road ( Inland Patea Road ) on the North Island of New Zealand in the Manawatu-Wanganui region . At a distance of 41.5 kilometers from Taihape, the Rangitikei River is bridged with the suspension bridge.
The bridge, built in 1925, is no longer used for traffic; it was handed over to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 1970 .
history
In 1876, the Counties Act established the counties in New Zealand, and since then these regional administrative units have been responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges within their borders. The respective civil engineer had to design the bridges in his area of responsibility for the development of the remote areas and to supervise the construction. In the Manawatu-Wanganui region, SAR Mair was the responsible engineer from 1899 to 1947 and was responsible for the construction of the Springvale suspension bridge.
The Napier-Taihape Road, also known as Inland Patea Road, fulfilled an important function of connecting the Wanganui region with Hawke's Bay and crossed the transition between the Ruahine Range and Kaweka Range , which is the best opportunity for an east-west Crossing the central plateau of the North Island offered. But it was not until 1925 that the suspension bridge was built over the Rangitikei River in order to finally put an end to the regular floods and the associated inaccessibility of the ford .
Archaeological finds near the bridge show that the Māori hunted moas in the area .
The bridge was used for road traffic until 1970, when a wider new construction suitable for heavier loads followed directly next to the suspension bridge. The old bridge was given to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust with the aim of preserving it in the long term as a reminder of the region's transport history. The bridge was thus also closed to public vehicle traffic.
Suspension bridges were a popular form of bridge construction in New Zealand as well as in the Wild West of North America. The bridges, which were originally made exclusively of wood, the building material usually found in sufficient quantities, and later also steel and concrete, could be built with simple tools. Today there are only three suspension bridges in use in New Zealand, some more (like Springvale's) are in varying condition, but no longer in use.
Technical specifications
The bridge spans 61 meters (200 feet) between the concrete towers that support the guy ropes. Four 140 mm thick steel cables on both sides of the bridge carry a load of 114 tons per cable. The anchor blocks of the guy ropes are made of huge concrete blocks. The bridge deck is laid on wooden beams that run along both sides of the bridge. At a distance of two meters, wooden posts support a balustrade that runs two meters above the road surface on both sides . Steel bars fastened diagonally between the posts stiffen the structure. Every fourth beam of the decking substructure is extended by around 150 mm on both sides of the bridge to accommodate a stiffening triangle for the balustrade. The roadway has a usable width of around 2.4 meters. The eastern ramp to the bridge was filled with river gravel, the western bridge driveway was made by cutting through a large boulder.
Changes and entertainment
To protect children from falling through under the balustrade, wire mesh was pulled in. After the bridge was decommissioned for road traffic, the structure could still be used for pedestrians, cattle drives and two-wheelers, but for a few years access from both sides has been prevented by massive beam shoring. Even if the visual condition of the bridge pavement in particular does not inspire confidence, an inspection carried out by the owner in 2003 confirmed the good condition of the suspension bridge.
Web links and sources
- Engineering Heritage - Springvale Suspension Bridge Description
- Information board on the bridge
- New Zealand Historic Places Trust leaflet, no ISBN
Coordinates: 39 ° 29 ′ 17.2 ″ S , 176 ° 2 ′ 1.1 ″ E