The Wynyard Crossing Bridge is needing extensive maintenance work so it can operate more reliably and to address potential safety risks. To enable this to happen, it will need to remain upright and out of operation until late this year.
Following recent intermittent technical faults experienced from November 2023 – March 2024, a significant programme of preventative maintenance works has begun so that this key waterfront connection can be re-instated as reliably as possible.
Marian Webb, GM Assets and Delivery for Eke Panuku, says, “Despite the technical faults experienced over the past few months, our teams have worked hard to provide safe interim solutions so we could deliver a fantastic summer of events and activations for Auckland’s waterfront with as little disruption as possible.
“As we head into autumn and winter, it’s clear that the work required on the Wynyard Crossing Bridge cannot wait any longer. We need to act now so that this important and well-used connection can return to reliable operations in time for next summer.”
Initially built as a temporary solution for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the Wynyard Crossing Bridge has, in the past couple of years, increasingly required short-term fixes to continue to operate. Given the budget pressure Auckland Council is under, the significant funding required to replace the bridge entirely is not available. Routine, smaller scale maintenance also won’t be enough to address all the issues and would risk technical faults continuing to disrupt its operation and availability. Therefore, closing the bridge and initiating a thorough maintenance programme is the only option.
The preventative maintenance programme, which includes a full overhaul of old parts, applying anti-rust coating, and thorough trials and assessments to pre-empt and prevent future technical faults, is expected to be completed before next summer (late 2024). Regular updates will be provided as work progresses.
“We recognize that this is a huge inconvenience to many people,” says Marian. “Our technical team have prepared a programme that can perform the tasks required in the soonest possible time frame.”
While the works are carried out, as a legal obligation under the bridge’s resource consent, it will need to remain upright to allow free access to marine traffic. Although the Wynyard Crossing Bridge is closed, Wynyard Quarter continues to be a key destination on the waterfront. With a range of beautiful open spaces such as Silo Park and Amey Daldy Park, and numerous high-quality bars and restaurants on offer, pedestrians are encouraged to take the alternative route around Viaduct Harbour, or to take advantage of the frequent City Link bus that runs every 7 minutes between Wynyard Quarter and the city, from 6am till midnight, seven days a week. The 20 and 75 bus routes also drop people directly in Wynyard Quarter, with the northern express bus services and a variety of others stopping on Fanshawe Street.
“At Eke Panuku we recognize that the Wynyard Crossing Bridge is a critical connection,” says Marian. “The work we are now embarking on is urgent and critical to ensure that the bridge can continue to operate more reliably, more safely, and further into the future.”
For more information on the development of the Wynyard Quarter Bridge, please visit ekepanuku.co.nz/wynyardcrossingbridge
