Grafton Bridge an Auckland landmark
Friday, 21 August 2015 by Mark Sandiford
It takes a fair amount
of skill to get from A to B in bustling inner-city Auckland.
There's nothing quite like a major landmark to map out where you're
going. At 105
years old the Grafton
Bridge is just that; a
landmark and an icon of inner-city Auckland.
Used by thousands of people
each day, the Grafton Bridge stands tall and sturdy over the deep
Grafton Gully. The bridge is part of the main commute for many
workers, university students and inner-city shoppers.
From 7am and 7pm Grafton Bridge
is open to buses and motorcycles only but still sees plenty of foot
traffic on its paths at each side.
With the Sky
Tower in view you know you really are in the heart of New
Zealand's largest city.
A vital link in more ways than one
The Grafton Bridge connects
the Auckland CBD and the famous Karangahape Road with the suburb
of Grafton.
Grafton is home to some key
places in Auckland such as the
Auckland Domain, Auckland
City Hospital, Starship
Hospital and the
Auckland Medical School.
Since 2009, the Grafton
Bridge has been an essential part of the Central
Connector bus route. The Central Connector sees approximately
65,000 passengers daily and links the CBD with the commercial
suburb of Newmarket.
Not only providing a
physical link within inner-city Auckland, the Grafton Bridge also
symbolises a link between Australia and New Zealand. It stands
strong on New Zealand soil but its two-year build was a huge
undertaking by Australian company Ferro
Concrete Company of Australasia who can be credited for its
strength and longevity.
It's not the first bridge to cross the Grafton Gully
Today's Grafton Bridge is
the third to be constructed over the Grafton Gully. The first
bridge, built in 1884, was a hazardous structure yet somehow lasted
almost 20 years before it was deemed unsafe. Made of wood, the pedestrian-only
bridge saw a high amount of foot traffic each day and the public
noticed it beginning to sway and creak each time it was
used.
By the time the bridge was
approaching its 20th year, police were stationed at each
end after rugby matches as rowdy crowds were notorious for jumping
on the bridge causing it to wobble. The bridge was old and improvements
were pointless. Authorities imposed a £5 fine for anyone caught
jumping on the bridge until its future had been
decided.
By 1904, walking the frail
bridge was nothing but a risky task and the structure was beyond
repair. After much public outcry, the bridge was eventually
closed. It remains
a wonder how it did not collapse prior to its closure.
Back to the drawing board
The old bridge stood unused
until 1906 and a second pedestrian-only bridge was built on a
temporary basis while engineers and council agreed on a permanent
structure. Discussions about the permanent bridge dragged on
causing the temporary bridge to require a rebuild.
Finally, it was agreed that the new Grafton Bridge would no
longer be pedestrian-only; it would become a road bridge. Although more costly, it would be
made of reinforced concrete as the repainting of steel would cost
more in the long run. The estimated cost of this decision was
£31,918 and the Auckland public considered it to be reckless
spending.
Auckland mayor Arthur
Myers advocated for the bridge to be four lanes wide as he
predicted the population to double over the next two decades. The
bridge had already been dubbed "Myers Folly" for the general
feeling that the cost of the new bridge was a representation of
foolishness, so the narrower two-lane design was constructed.
Interestingly Mayor Myers' predictions were correct.
New Zealand's greatest engineering achievement
After two and a half years
of construction the Grafton Bridge opened in 1910. Its concrete
arch span measured 97.6 metres - the largest in the world at the
time. The bridge stands at a height of 43.3
metres over the valley floor. At the time reinforced concrete had
not yet been used to this capacity in New Zealand so this was a
pioneering achievement in itself. The size, design and construction
show great engineering enterprise.
Skeptical of its strength and still questioning its necessity,
the public were invited to witness elaborate testing at the
bridge's open day in April, 1910. Two steam rollers weighing a combined
32 tons were driven across the bridge, followed by a dumping of 292
tons of gravel to complete a dead load test. The results were
deemed "extremely satisfactory".
The greatest test of all has
been the that of time and the Grafton Bridge has passed with flying
colours.
To this day the Grafton Bridge is considered to be one of New
Zealand's greatest civil engineering achievements. It is listed on
the
NZ Historic Places Trust and
IPENZ Engineering Heritage Register and it has become a special
piece of New Zealand history.
A bright future fOr the Grafton Bridge
At over 100 years old the
bridge holds so much value to both Auckland residents and tourists.
There are also discussions about it becoming part of a future rail
route.
With all that it has endured, there is no doubt that the Grafton
Bridge will still be going strong in another 100 years time.
Visit this special piece of New Zealand history
The Kiwi International Hotel is only a
short walk to the Grafton Bridge and provides the perfect
accommodation for Auckland visitors. The central location makes the
Kiwi Hotel the perfect base for those keen on splurge at the shops
or a sightseeing adventure.
Whether you're travelling alone or on a family holiday, the Kiwi
Hotel has an accommodation option to suit you.
If you choose to stay in the heart of Auckland at the Kiwi International Hotel, it is inevitable that you
will pass over the Grafton Bridge. When you do, try to remember its
size, age, and how it came to be.
