Heritage Bridges

With more than 250 heritage buildings in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula demolished after the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, preserving and protecting those heritage structures that survived took on greater significance for the people of Christchurch.

The Stronger Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild Team (SCIRT) was tasked by the public entities funding its work programme with repairing 10 heritage bridges. Several were in the central city and all demanded painstaking care and attention to detail.

The restoration of these vulnerable structures, the oldest more than 150 years old, presented both significant and satisfying challenges for those who worked on them.

The rebuild work and repairs were collaborative projects between SCIRT, the Christchurch City Council’s heritage team and advocate Heritage New Zealand. The aim of all organisations was to retain as much of the original structures as possible.

The engineering work required meticulous attention to detail and some creative solutions to meet heritage requirements while ensuring the bridges were made safe for the use of the public.

To read more about the engineering and heritage challenges and the procedures required, please refer to the documents below.