Bridges

Upcoming review of our district's bridges

Many of our bridges are nearing the end of their life. A significant number of these bridges are located on low volume roads where alternative routes exist and the economic viability of their replacement needs to be considered. We will be undertaking more detailed structural inspections and impact assessments within the coming three-year period to inform community discussion regarding the shape of our network in the future.

Bridge Restrictions

Bridges with speed or weight restrictions below General Access Limits are called 'Posted Bridges'. These restrictions are used to protect them from damage through over-loading. This also helps to keep road users safe.

Bridges are commonly posted because of deteriorating condition, damage caused by illegal over-loading, or where they were originally designed for lower load limits than current General Access limits. Bridge postings can be applied for short periods to enable repairs or strengthening to be completed, or for long periods of time where the bridge still meets the current needs of the network.

Central Otago District Council undertakes regular testing of our bridges to determine the maximum mass and speeds they can safely support.

A list of all current bridge postings can be found HERE.

Vehicles exceeding posted bridge mass limits will not be allowed to operate on affected routes, unless they are eligible for an overweight or specialist vehicle permit. More information on the over-weight and over-dimension permit process is available HERE.

Helpful Resources

• Agricultural Vehicle Guide (Agricultural vehicles guide (nzta.govt.nz)
• Vehicle Dimensions and Mass (Vehicle dimensions and mass | NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (nzta.govt.nz)).