A significant milestone has been achieved in the Kaitoke Pipe Bridge initiative in New Zealand.
After an intricate and challenging construction process spanning a year and a half, the newly erected 52-meter-long steel arch bridge, weighing 24 tonnes, has been successfully positioned over Te Awa Kairangi/Hutt River.
The purpose of this bridge is to accommodate a 1.5-meter diameter ductile iron pipe, engineered and manufactured in Japan, and recognized as the largest of its kind installed in New Zealand. Notably, its design incorporates flexibility to withstand considerable seismic activity, ensuring the uninterrupted water flow to the downstream Te Mārua water treatment facility.
This substantial pipeline is earmarked for the conveyance of a significant portion of Wellington’s potable water supply – a volume reaching up to 140 million liters per day, equivalent to two Olympic-size swimming pools every hour.
The project remains firmly on its trajectory to attain completion by early 2025.
Upon its eventual conclusion, the general public will gain access to the newly established bridge, constituting an integral part of the Kaitoke loop pathway.
