Plans to reopen the historic Kōpū Bridge to the public are well underway, with the Kōpū Bridge and Community Trust aiming to have the gates open within the next six months.
The single-lane, swing-span bridge was opened in 1928, and for years remained the main route to the Coromandel Peninsula from the north.
It was decommissioned in December, 2011, after the new, two-lane bridge was built alongside it over the Waihōu River.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) initially planned to tear the old bridge down, at a cost of approximately $3.9 million.
Instead, the community fought to keep it intact, arguing for its significance as the only operational swing-span bridge remaining in New Zealand. In 2012, ownership of the 463-metre long bridge was transferred to the Trust.
Trust secretary Leigh Robcke said a band of volunteers have been working hard for the last five or six years to make repairs to the bridge and reopen it to the public.
“It’s taken us longer than we thought. You’ve got to do things in sequence,” Leigh said.
“[But] we’re pretty pleased with how it’s looking – we can see we can get this open now.”
Since taking over the site, the Trust has spent around $75,000 restoring the bridge – it has installed gates, bollards, and safety signage; undertaken significant electrical work including the installation of a generator; restored the wheelhouse at the centre of the bridge; and ensured the swing span is maintained and fully operational.
All that’s left to do is complete repairs to sections of the railing – and with contracted builder Jon Liddell already having begun the repairs, Leigh said the bridge could be completed sooner rather than later.
“[He’s] done quite a bit of work out in the middle, putting a chamfer on it,” Leigh said.
“We’re going to replace some of the posts too, but they’re not crucial. The main thing is that you’ve got a railing and you’ve got a barrier.”
Only around 150m of the railing needs to be completely replaced, Leigh said. And the wood which is removed will be recycled into wooden benches to be placed in the old passing bays.
The Trust has had support and donations from the Friends of the Historic Kōpū Bridge, Barbara Anderson Family Trust, Awhero Nui Trust, NZTA, Hauraki District Council, and Thames-Coromandel District Council for the project.
Kōpū Bridge and Community trustee Wati Ngamane said the bridge was classified as a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 Historic Place, which limited the work the committee was allowed to undertake.
“We had to get a conservation plan in place – there’s things we can’t do,” he said.
However, the Trust plans to scrape down the posts and railings, and repaint them in white and light blue to match the historic colour scheme.
Wati and Leigh said the bridge would complement the nearby Hauraki Rail Trail nicely when opened, and bring back nostalgia for those who remember the long queues of summer traffic.
“I have many memories of using it and utilising the passing bay,” Wati said.
“Now cyclists will have the choice to go over the top or across the old bridge.”
