Fairfield Bridge
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use New Zealand English Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Fairfield Bridge is a tied-arch bridge on the Waikato River in Fairfield, Hamilton, New Zealand. It is one of six bridges in the city.[1] It spans from River Road, on the east bank of the river, to Victoria Street, on the west side.[2]
It was registered as a Category I 'Historic Place' with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust on 30 August 1990.[3] The Great Race starts just north of the bridge, with the rowers passing under it during the race.[4]
There were days when drovers would drive stock over the main Fairfield Bridge to Frankton saleyards.[5]
Design and construction
The bridge is 139 metres (457 ft) long, and has two land spans,[6] and three arches which are Script error: No such module "convert". wide, Script error: No such module "convert". long and Script error: No such module "convert". above the road at their highest point.[7][8] The road is Script error: No such module "convert". wide, and the footpaths Script error: No such module "convert"..[9] The arches and spans are made from reinforced concrete.[6]
It was designed by Stanley Jones of Auckland, and Roose Shipping started construction in August 1934.[6] The bridge was opened in April 1937 by the Minister of Public Works Bob Semple.[6] It was the fourth largest reinforced concrete tied-arch bridge in New Zealand, and the second over the Waikato River.[8]
When the building of a bridge in the Fairfield suburb was proposed, many people felt that it would seldom be used.[6] At that time it was just north of the city boundary, in Waikato County.[9] Sixty-five years later, in 2002, there were about 20,000 vehicles travelling across the bridge each day.[10]
During the building of foundations for the bridges, an excavator came across a burial cave in the bank of the river. The preserved heads of several Māori were found in it.[11] In 1991 a reconstruction project costing NZ$1.1 million took place, as the bridge was suffering the effects of concrete cancer,[6] discovered in 1980.[12]
During January 2011, the bridge was closed for three weeks for maintenance.[13]
Motorcycle stunt
In 2009 Jonathan Bennett of the Mormon Few Stunt Crew was charged, and in 2010 was convicted,[14] for dangerous driving for riding a motorcycle on the arches of Fairfield Bridge.[15][16] The stunt was filmed and subsequently posted on YouTube.[17] He was fined $500 and disqualified from riding for 6 months.[18]
References
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External links
- Photos of construction [1] [2] and [3] Template:Webarchive
- 1941 photo showing cattle and houses
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- Pages with script errors
- Pages using infobox bridge with extra
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- Concrete bridges in New Zealand
- Tied arch bridges
- Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Waikato
- Bridges completed in 1937
- Bridges over the Waikato River
- Bridges in Hamilton, New Zealand
- 1930s architecture in New Zealand