Weight restrictions put on Hodder River bridge
A weight restriction has been put on the Hodder Bridge in the upper Awatere Valley after fears the bridge can’t cope with heavy loads.
Marlborough Roads manager Frank Porter said the bridge was built in 1938, and restrictions meant a class 1 truck capable of being loaded to a gross weight of 44 tonnes must not be loaded beyond a total weight of 31 tonnes.
That meant mainly stock trucks and fertiliser trucks, Mr Porter said.
Marlborough Roads had talked to landowners further up the valley, and none were expecting to use a heavy truck in the next few weeks.
A stock truck with cattle for Christchurch was now taking a different route out of the valley.
Upcot, Middlehurst, Muller, and Molesworth stations were the main ones affected.
Early next year Marlborough Roads would reinstate an access road to the riverbed and re-open the Hodder River ford. At the same time, options for a temporary low-level bridge would be further investigated, he said.
Mr Porter said the bridge had not been affected by the earthquakes in July and August.
‘‘It is an old bridge, originally designed for much lighter use.’’
He said the decline in the bridge’s capacity was not a big surprise, and Marlborough Roads had been analysing its loadbearing capacity for a while.
The Hodder Bridge was upgraded about 30 years ago but, as heavy traffic into the valley has increased, the bridge had come under pressure.
There had been weight restrictions in place on the bridge before the last upgrade was done in the 1980s.
‘‘Since then, both loads and load frequency has increased and we must ensure the bridge is safe for all traffic.’’
Mr Porter said the river ford had been used for heavy vehicles until the upgrade about 30 years ago.