‘Whoosh and bridge was gone’
A 50-metre section of the Pyramid Bridge, near Riversdale, has broken away and is travelling downstream on Southland’s Mataura River.
There had been a build up of branches and debris against the bridge because of the high water flow following Thursday’s heavy rainfall.
Gore District Council yesterday urged people to stay away from the river and any structures in the path of the debris.
Residents from Otama, Wendon and Riversdale use the bridge to travel between the three areas, but alternative routes are available.
K2 contractor Wayne Raynbird was using a digger to clear logs jammed against the one-lane bridge on the swollen river yesterday and decided to retreat after noticing the bridge was shaking. .
‘‘I ... thought, ‘things are moving ... there was a bit of shaking and creaking and carry on. I made the decision to get off the bridge and 10 minutes later, away it went.’’
A 50-metre hole appeared in the more than 100 metre-long bridge.
Contractor Les Hannagan was on the bridge just moments before a large chunk of it washed away.
Hannagan said he heard the bridge creak. ‘‘I ran across the bridge and a minute later it went, whoosh, it was gone, half the bridge disappeared,’’ he said.
‘‘I was here to keep the road closed, but now it’s going to be permanently closed.’’
A Riversdale farmer said the branches flowing down the river and jamming against the bridge had broken off willow trees upstream in the November snowfall, with the heavy rain sending them downstream yesterday.
Gore Mayor Tracy Hicks said he was ‘‘stunned’’ at the collapse of the bridge. ‘‘Now we’re just working out how to make sure that area is safe.’’
The bridge has been due for replacement for several years and work was expected to have started in July 2017.
Meanwhile, in Haast, a wedding party was among the tourists stranded in the West Coast town without cellphone coverage or wifi.
About 700 people, mostly tourists, could be stuck there for days as a 100-metre long, 9-metre high slip at Douglas Bluff cut off the town on Thursday.
The wedding party, which was trying to get to a service on the West Coast tomorrow, was among those camping out at Haast’s The Hard Antler Bar and Restaurant.
They and some of the others were expected to be flown out by plane and helicopter yesterday. Phone service was restored to the area by 3.30pm yesterday, but internet and eftpos were still offline.
The bar’s duty manager, who did not want to be named, said the wedding party’s flight was supposed to be at 3pm yesterday, but there were nine of them so not all could fit on a six-seater plane.
‘‘The bride and groom weren’t stuck here, it was the groomsmen and the parents, I think.’’
‘‘Chances are there are probably going to be a lot of tourists stuck here for another night.’’