Masterton’s Colombo Road bridge over the Waipoua River will remain one-lane until the eastern, south-bound section is replaced.
The tender process for the bridge work is underway. This is a design and build project and will take 12-18 months to complete.
The bridge is actually made up of two separate structures, with the south-bound bridge due for replacement due to deteriorating piers.
The south-bound lane was closed to traffic during high flows in the river as a result of ex-Cyclone Dovi, and the Council has now received advice from structural engineers on the condition of the bridge.
“The advice is that the eastern side of the bridge should remain closed until it is replaced,” Council Chief Executive David Hopman said.
“This work was planned and we will be proceeding with it when the tender process has been completed.
“We appreciate that having use of only one lane will be an inconvenience for some motorists and we thank them for their patience.”
A temporary traffic light will be installed in coming months to facilitate traffic flow over the western side of the bridge.
ENDS