ADVERTORIAL
Restoration works have recently been completed on the Historic Kōpū Bridge wheelhouse which should see the building and the machinery inside protected for another 100 years.
Kōpū bridge and community trust chair Jonathan Broome said the trust was really chuffed with the wheelhouse restoration.
“We’ve been working behind the scenes for several years to restore the bridge and this is the most visible progress so far.”
Work on the wheelhouse was carried out by local tradesmen (STM Roofing and Liddell Building) in accordance with a conservation plan prepared under the direction of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.
“This was a tough job.
“First the scaffolding had to be installed, which wouldn’t have been easy given most of the wheelhouse sits out over the Waihou river, and then the builders were perched out there working in mid-winter”.
The conservation plan requires that, wherever possible, the original appearance of the bridge be retained and that where maintenance or replacement is needed, similar materials and colours are used.
The trust is working toward replacing some missing railings before hopefully getting the bridge open for summer.
“The bridge is a very interesting place to be, it’s very close to the water and the current.
“It’s much quieter than the new bridge and you get a good appreciation for how well the bridge was constructed back in 1928.”
The Kōpū bridge and community trust would like to thank New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for assisting with restoration works undertaken to date, and the friends of the historic Kōpū bridge who have been active organising events and activities on the bridge.
