Waitāwheta Bridge weight restriction reduced to 30 tonnes

What we found

Following our detailed inspection of Waitāwheta Bridge, we're reducing the weight restriction to 30 tonnes to keep people safe and the bridge operational.

The recent inspection found that one of the bridge's load-bearing beams is compromised. This means the other beams are compensating to support loads across the structure.

What this means

The bridge remains fully open for:

• All standard vehicles (cars, SUVs, utes)
• Light trucks
• Any vehicle under 30 tonnes total weight

Heavy vehicles over 30 tonnes:

• Will need to use alternative routes

What happens next

We're developing options for the bridge's future, which may include strengthening or replacement. This work is supported by NZTA funding.

We'll keep the community updated as options are developed.

Background

This inspection was part of our investigation into whether the 1960s bridge could be upgraded to handle High Productivity Motor Vehicles to improve regional freight connections and its capacity as a State Highway 2 detour route.

The findings confirm the bridge requires significant work to achieve this goal, and we're now assessing the best path forward.