Kawarau River Bridge
This bridge is the present crossing over the Kawarau River linking Bannockburn with the Cromwell Flats. The construction of the Clyde Dam and the formation of Lake Dunstan required the former Bannockburn Bridge to be replaced due to the proposed lake level being above the deck level. The Ministry of Works and Development, Civil Design Office in Wellington, designed the replacement Bannockburn Bridge for the Vincent County Council. The contract for the construction of the bridge was let to Morgan and O'Shea of Balclutha. On Saturday, 7 Oct 1989, the new Bannockburn Bridge was officially opened by the chairman of the Vincent County Council, Mr R J Davidson.
Construction Details
The bridge consists of a Calender-Hamilton type steel truss of 3 spans totaling 148m. Total weight of the steelwork is 250 tonnes. The trusses are supported on two cast-insitu reinforced concrete piers, 29m high which are anchored into the rock. The deck has a double carriageway and comprises precast concrete panels with insitu topping and infills. The bridge bearings incorporate the latest design of seismic energy dissipators fitted to the Cromwell abutments.
note: the Cromwell to Bannockburn walking trail passes under this bridge