Finding funds for historic rail footbridge fix up

The Team Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Ashburton’s historic railway footbridge could be in for a makeover.

The Ashburton District Council is investigating what can be done to the 105-year-old structure and how to fund it.

The council is in the process of obtaining a conservation management plan (CMP) for the heritage overbridge, which infrastructure services group manager Neil McCann says will include what condition the bridge should be maintained to and if any changes or additions, such as lights, can be made.

Work had started on the CMP and should be completed as early as the end of July, he said.

A detailed inspection in August 2018 identified an estimated $290,450 worth of maintenance and repairs, which McCann said included painting the iron work and replacing some decayed timber.

An inspection of the bridge in November 2021 confirmed the work required, he said.

Once a CMP is completed the work will then be programmed once funding is secured.

Council roading manager Mark Chamberlain said funding was the big issue – like it was for any project.

“We have $100,000 to do maintenance on all our structures including that bridge,” Chamberlain said.

“If I had to choose to spend that on one bridge or another, I think I would choose one with the traffic on it.

“But it is a heritage listed bridge so we do need to look after it.”

McCann said once the CMP was received “we will make enquiries to determine what funding opportunities are available”.

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has the bridge listed as a category 2 heritage place, but the Rail Heritage Trust had the former railway station and footbridge listed together on its historic register so had designated the bridge as being demolished along with the station.

The council is contacting the trust to ensure its register is updated to list the footbridge as still existing as a stand-alone item and also plans to enquire about possible funding assistance.

History of the footbridge

The Railway Footbridge was constructed in 1917 and is the key surviving feature from the Ashburton Railway Station complex following the demolition of the main station building in 2013.

The Railway Footbridge, with its bowstring truss, is one of a few such railway footbridges that remain in situ.

Initially the east end of the bridge had ramps descending at right angles both towards the town centre and to the station building, but the northeast ramp was removed in 1983.

The Ashburton Railway Station, opened in 1917, remained a busy thoroughfare until the 1980s, when the number of passenger trains was steadily reduced.

In 2002, the passenger train service stopped altogether and the station building was demolished in 2013.