Bridge repairs may take months

ROBERT CHARLES/Taranaki Daily News

ALL NIGHTER: KiwiRail contractors last night prepare to prop up the Egmont Rd overbridge that was seriously damaged when it was hit by a truck on Tuesday.

Relevant offers

It could take months to make permanent repairs to a rail overbridge just north of New Plymouth, KiwiRail says.

The Egmont Rd overbridge has been closed since a truck carrying a digger hit the underside of the bridge on Tuesday morning.

The closure has severed the rail link to Port Taranaki and cargo is having to be moved by road.

The disruption is not expected affect operations at the port and the public should not notice an increase on heavy vehicles on the roads.

Egmont Rd was also closed to traffic on Tuesday night after it was deemed unsafe for cars to travel underneath the over-bridge.

KiwiRail spokeswoman Ruth Larsen said it was hoped the bridge could be re-opened today.

"We're going to prop the underside of the bridge to create a support from underneath the bridge to give it the strength required," Ms Larsen said.

The tracks will also be moved so the load was centred on the undamaged side of the bridge.

"Longer term we'll obviously need to arrange for a permanent solution, which is likely to take several months," Ms Larsen said.

Contractors began work on propping up the bridge last night and it's expected to be finished today.

Egmont Rd will be reduced to one lane while the work is carried out and for the next few days.

KiwiRail and the New Plymouth District Council will review the situation in the coming days.

The impact of the collision damaged two of four concrete beams, one seriously. Port Taranaki chief executive Roy Weaver said the closure of the rail link had not affected port operations.

"At this stage it looks like they are coping with it [cargo] by truck," Mr Weaver said.

Road Transport Association western branch spokesman Tom Cloke said there was not a lot of cargo heading to the port at this time of year.

"We can well and truly cope with any extra load," Mr Cloke said.

The public would not notice any significant increase in road traffic, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News