Reconnecting communities

The official opening of the Te Rēinga Bridge over the Wairoa River in Hawke's Bay saw local communities celebrating their reconnection and the work BPC did in making it possible. The opening came four years after the original bridge was damaged in the 2022 floods and more extensively in Cyclone Gabrielle.

BPC delivered the 90.5m span bridge with the biggest lift undertaken in New Zealand and the first with Smith Crane’s Liebherr LR11000 crawler crane – 175t at 56m radius. The main bridge is supported by two 1200mm diameter piles at each end, with the land span supported by two 900mm diameter piles at the abutment.

The bridge’s single span design eliminates the need for a pier in the riverbed, minimising environmental disruption and preserving the mauri of the awa. The network arch was pre-fabricated in Hawke's Bay by Eastbridge Ltd, then assembled on site.

The project, delivered for QRS Ltd and ultimately for Wairoa District Council, was 100% Government funded.