Bridges in New Zealand

In 2011 there were 4,024 bridges on State Highways, with a total length of 142 km (88 mi) (1.3% of SH length). There were 13,726 232 km (144 mi) of bridges in urban areas, also forming 1.3% of their length. 7,567 of them were single lane bridges. The 120 bridges on special-purpose roads formed only 3.7 km (2.3 mi), or 0.7% of their length. The carbon footprint of the bridges was estimated to be 37.5 times that of their roads.[1]

Some of the longest bridges on the state highway network are:[2]

• Rakaia River bridge - 1,757 m (5,764 ft)
• Auckland Harbour Bridge - 1,020 m (3,350 ft)
• Thorndon Overbridges - 1,335 m (4,380 ft)
• Whirokino Trestle Bridge - 1,098 m (3,602 ft)
• Waitaki River Bridge - 906 m (2,972 ft)
• Hokitika River Bridge - 740 m (2,430 ft)
• Haast River Bridge - 737 m (2,418 ft)

• Newmarket Viaduct
• Otira Viaduct
• Percy Burn Viaduct
• Victoria Park Viaduct
• Mohaka Viaduct

There are 1,787 bridges on the rail network in New Zealand which are maintained by KiwiRail, the infrastructure arm of the New Zealand Railways Corporation, though a 2011 study said there were 1,636 bridges, with a total length of 63.8 km (39.6 mi).[1]

There are two bridges on the State Highway on West Coast that have rail lines on the road carriageway. Until 2008 the Awatere River bridge had a rail line above the road way. A new road bridge has been constructed with the railway now being the sole use of the original bridge.

Two bridges on now-closed sections of the East Coast Main Trunk line are still in use by road-traffic only. The single deck Pekatahi Bridge, which spans the Whakatane River near Taneatua carries State Highway Two and it used to carry the mothballed rails of the ECMT the tracks were removed in 2019. The rare double-deck road-rail bridge at Karangahake Gorge, which crosses the Ohinemuri River, still carries a local road on the lower level, whilst on the upper level, the railway has been replaced by a walkway.

A tramper crossing a swingbridge over a remote river in the South Island.

Since there are numerous large rivers in New Zealand many footbridges have been constructed in the backcountry. During the 1950s many bridges were built, along with backcountry huts, to give hunters access to forested areas to cull introduced deer which had by that stage become a serious pest. Some of the bridges still remain but other have been washed away or replaced with new ones and are now often used due to the popularity of tramping (hiking).

• The Auckland Harbour Bridge spans the Waitemata Harbour in the largest city in New Zealand.
• The Bridge to Nowhere is a concrete road bridge spanning the Mangapurua Stream in Whanganui National Park. It has no roads leading to it, but it is a popular tourist attraction, accessible by boat or kayak. It was built in a failed attempt to open up a remote forested area for farming.

• Transport in New Zealand