Longford Cable Stayed Bridge in Gore, New Zealand is a 90m spanning cable stayed pedestrian bridge. It is a 3m wide cable stayed bridge with a 32m high steel mast. The cable stayed bridge crosses the Mataura River and connects east Gore to the main centre.
Cable stayed bridge design approach
The crisp white circular hollow section (CHS) steel mast will is tilted backwards by 15 degrees to create a striking visual statement for the cable stayed bridge. The steel mast is a key structural element but it has also been arranged and styled to form a sculptural landmark in its own right. The sculptural mast has been positioned on the western side so that it can be viewed by the community and prospective tourists using the SH1 road bridge (further down-stream). It is hoped that having this architectural bridge visible to passing traffic will encourage more commuters/tourists to stop (rather than pass through) the township.
The superstructure will be suspended from the mast using high strength spiral strand cables connected with elegant proprietary cable forks. The cables will be Galfan™ coated (5% aluminium + 95% zinc) to optimize durability.
The balustrade will be formed from glulaminated timber posts combined with a stainless-steel handrail and stainless-steel anti-climb infill mesh. This will be combined with timber or recycled plastic decking. This balustrade and decking system was recently used as a cost effective but architectural and low-maintenance solution for the Water of Leith Cyclebridge.
By using traditional bridge building materials such as concrete and steel and combining them effectively with modern plastic composites and the sustainability offered by engineered timber, we have tried to create a truly unique bridge which is economical, durable, and architecturally striking.
Water-pipe bridge
The bridge is also a key piece of utilities infrastructure as it carries two 350 diameter watermains over the Mataura River for connecting East Gore and the wider community to the town’s forthcoming water plant to be built further upstream.
Current status
The bridge is fully designed and currently going through resource consenting. It is hoped that work with affected iwi, local residents, and community groups can be successfully progressed late into 2020 to enable construction to commence in early 2021.
Cable stayed bridge bridge design partners
The bridge was designed for Gore District Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Our partners were Riley Consultants (Geotech and Hydrology) and Truecost Ltd (Cost Estimation and Scheduling).
