NZTA strengthens Penrose bridge
THe NZTA is strengthening the Penrose bridge and installing collision protection beams to protect the bridge over the SH1 motorway
The bridge has been hit 41 times since 2008, with 32 hits on the southbound side. The four-span bridge is made of reinforced concrete, but vehicle strikes damage the concrete beams and risk undermining the structural capacity of the outer beams. NZTA says that repairs are costly and disruptive to motorway users.
The bridge at its lowest point over the southbound lanes has a 4.52-metre clearance. NZTA rules stipulate that the maximum height for a load is 4.25 metres.
The Transport Agency has an over-height detection system on the motorway, but the driver of a detected vehicle still has to pull over and stop. The collision protection beams will be a last resort measure to protect the bridge.
In May 2016, a 15-tonne digger on the back of a truck set off the detection system before it hit the Penrose bridge. The crash blocked two lanes for about three-and-a half hours, causing significant disruption to Auckland traffic.
Installation of the protection beam on the northbound lane was completed at the end of February 2018. The beam on the southbound side will be installed during April.
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