44 Bowen Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
28 May 2024
John Manson
[FYI request #26596 email]
REF: OIA-15272
Dear Jake
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email
of 1 May 2024 requesting information about the repairs on Oamaru Creek
Bridge under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act). I shal address each of your queries in turn.
Can you provide al details you have relating to repairs/repairs required to fix and timelines if
possible, for the Oamaru Creek Bridge (Severn Street, Oamaru) after the motor vehicle collision
that occurred a couple of weeks ago?
The ful extent of the damage wil not be known until work starts on removing the damaged elements,
but the repairs include:
a) Removal of handrail and concrete nib, cutting through the highway pavement alongside the
damaged wal to a width of not more than one metre.
b) Excavating down the back of the spandrel wal masonry, removing the fil , to enable removal
and then relaying of the masonry blocks. Some blocks may be too damaged to be reused, and
these wil be replaced with replica blocks.
c) Road pavement reinstatement.
d) The metal railings wil be repaired. The cast metal infil panels can be fixed and re used but
the three vertical posts wil need to be replaced due to the extent of damage.
Is this damage structural or superficial?
The damage is structural. The damaged spandrel wall is a retaining structure, supporting the adjacent
State Highway pavement.
Does this damage require the traffic management (which is blocking/making entering and
exiting businesses difficult) if only superficial damage?
Yes. The lane adjacent to the wal needs to remain closed, and traffic speed in the adjacent lanes
needs to be restricted to 30 kilometres per hour to ensure that vibration from traffic doesn’t cause
additional damage to the bridge.
If you would like to discuss this reply with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), please contact
Robert Choveaux, System Manager – Lower South Island by email to [email address]
Yours sincerely
Andrew Clark
National Manager, Maintenance and Operations
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