ALBUM - OTIRA VIADUCT.1999.

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DescriptionState Highway 73 winds its way high through the huge mountains of the Southern Alps joining Westland and Canterbury. One very steep part of this road in the Otira Valley crossed an old landslide path. This piece of the road was always prone to rockfall, snow avalanches and landslides. It was decided that a new section of road was needed to make State Highway 73 safer and easier to maintain. Roading engineers decided the best and safest way to get past this tricky place in the mountains was to build a long, unusual type of bridge. The Otira Viaduct! The first foundations for the Otira Viaduct were laid in January 1998 and the first cars drove over in November 1999. The cold and wet weather of the mountains in winter made the job very hard for those building the viaduct. Sadly one of the construction team was killed in an accident while building the Otira Viaduct.Date of Photo1999Map^[1]ContributorTony Kokshoorn

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Location (city or town)OtiraLandmark (Place)OTIRA VIADUCTOrganisation (eg business)OTIRA VIADUCT

From Facebook

Date Created1st April 2023CommentsSteve Best

Been over it so many times but it still Amazes me,

Vivianne Nisbet
My Mum, from Reefton was there

ShonaandMurray Marshall
Such an amazing piece of engineering. Has made a huge difference travelling over the pass.

Les Bryce
I has the privilege of driving the last coach down the Zig Zag and the first one up the Viaduct on opening day.

Les Bryce
I had the privilege of driving the last coach down the Zig Zag and the first one up the Viaduct.

Deb Corich
Very sad that a life was lost. It was an exciting drive, with water sometimes cascading down! I know my VW backfired a lot as we got to the lower parts! Viaduct is great,but recall the excitement of our family’s trips to the coast ! As kids we weren’t bored by the trip!

Lois Iacoppi
It’s much nicer to drive over

Karen Simeon
Same been over it a few times but it still amazing ride everytime

Douglas Morris Gilmour
I thought they may build a viaduct like this on Manawatu Gorge

Justine Thorp
Such a great drive

Mike Keenan
Was on the organising committee for the grand opening— a very special occasion from the Westland District Council
What a great achievement to build the Otira Viaduct

Ashton McGill
Mike Keenan I've got the old Handicam tape incthr cupboard of dad driving over the zigzag one last time and back over the new viaduct. Should get it digitised and uploaded

Mike Keenan
Ashton McGill — gee whiz that would be very interesting to see—- well done for recording it

Christina Paterson
Sean Edwards

John Edwards we were just talking about this

Miles Reay
Amazing structure. Certainly an improvement on the old route.

Elizabeth Rock
Amazing viaduct. Making trips over the pass so much safer

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