ARAPUNI SWING BRIDGE | 100 years old | NEW ZEALAND | Waikato river | HARPAL SINGH GURON

The bridge spans the Arapuni Gorge a mile downstream from the dam. As it was but a simple ancillary structure associated with what at the time was New Zealand's largest civil engineering undertaking, the suspension bridge itself received little mention in progress reports and media accounts of the project.

The structure, likely to have been shipped prefabricated from England, was erected by the British contractors for the Arapuni project, Armstrong and Whitworth. The concrete foundations were laid early in May 1925. By December of that year the steel tower was in place. However, as late as April 1926 the steel cables and decking had not been completed. The bridge, finished at some time during the following three months, seems not to have had a formal opening. It connected "top camp" (which eventually became the permanent Arapuni township) with the western-side of the gorge. Top camp accommodated the workmen employed on construction of the spillway, powerhouse, penstock and outdoor station. Two and a half years after the filling of the dam and headrace, rock near the penstock tunnels moved inwards towards the old gorge causing a slight sagging of the bridge on account of movement of one of the supporting towers.

Although the construction project was completed some sixty years ago the bridge continues to provide essential pedestrian access between the Arapuni village and the hydro-electric installation enabling efficient and convenient operation.