FULTON HOGAN: WAIMAKARIRI BRIDGE

The Challenge:

Heavy traffic, fluctuating river levels and a round the clock work programme are just three of the challenges facing contractor Fulton Hogan as they widen and strengthen the Waimakariri Bridge.

The Detail:

The work on the bridge is part of the Christchurch Northern Corridor (CNC) project. A bit of foresight in the 1970s, when the bridges (there are two, one each for north and southbound traffic) were built means that there is already provision of an additional lane each way. No new, permanent river bed structures are required.

The labour requirement is still high. More than 11,000 holes are being drilled for steel reinforcing bars that will connect the new sections to the existing structure. There will be also 34 strengthening beams lifted onto the top of the piers, and a new “clip-on” cycleway to be built on the outside of the southbound bridge.

Upright has been working closely with Fulton Hogan Project Manager, Matthew Loach to design, plan and deliver a flexible, cost effective solution.  On the river banks, the scaffold can rest on the rocky beaches or grassy reserves. As work progresses out over the river, the scaffold will be suspended from the bridge.