Waiteti Viaduct facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Waiteti viaduct |
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Waiteti Viaduct in 2015
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| Coordinates | 38°21′38″S 175°11′17″E / 38.360509°S 175.188137°E |
| Carries | Single track of the North Island Main Trunk |
| Crosses | Waiteti Stream |
| Owner | KiwiRail |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Plate girder and Pratt truss |
| Material | Wrought iron |
| Total length | 128.6 metres (422 ft) |
| Height | 35 metres (115 ft) |
| Number of spans | 4 |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | PWD |
| Constructed by | [[John Anderson (mayor)#Professional life |J. & A. Anderson & Co]] |
| Construction begin | 1888 |
| Construction end | 10 July 1889 |
| Opened | |
| Designated: | 15 February 1990 |
| Reference #: | 4175 |
The Waiteti Viaduct (also known as Bridge 179) is a large railway bridge in New Zealand. It opened in 1889 and is located about 3 kilometers south of Te Kuiti. This viaduct is the most northern of the big bridges on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) railway line.
At its highest point, the railway track on the viaduct is 35 meters (about 115 feet) above the road below. It crosses over the Waiteti Stream, which is a small river that flows into the Waipa River.
The Te Araroa walking track passes through the Mangaokewa valley, close to the viaduct. Nearby, the Mangaokewa Scenic Reserve is a large forest area. It has many native trees like podocarp and tawa, and groves of nikau palms.
Building the Waiteti Viaduct
The Waiteti Viaduct was designed by the Public Works Department. A company from Christchurch, J. & A. Anderson & Co, built it. Construction took place from 1887 to 1889. This same company later built other important viaducts on the NIMT, like the Makatote and Mangaturuturu viaducts.
The viaduct was finished in 1888 and tested in March 1889. It officially opened in May 1889. The bridge is made of four large metal sections, each about 32.4 meters (106 feet) long. Together, they make the bridge 130 meters (425 feet) long.
These sections are supported by three strong metal piers. These piers stand on solid concrete foundations. The metal parts of the bridge were made in a special factory set up by Anderson in Te Kuiti. Then, they were put together on site using rivets, which are like strong metal pins.
In 1990, the Waiteti Viaduct was given a Category 1 listing by Heritage New Zealand. This means it's a very important historic place.
Keeping the Viaduct Strong
Over time, trains became heavier. By 1913, the Waiteti Viaduct needed to be made stronger to handle these bigger trains. Engineers planned to add more supports to the bridge.
Work began to add new concrete piers and steel supports. However, World War I started, and the work had to stop. It didn't start again until 1926.
When the work restarted, the concrete piers were finished. Instead of the planned steel supports, the middle sections of the bridge were strengthened with iron. The end sections were replaced with new, strong metal plate girders. These large girders, weighing 19.5 tons, arrived in parts at Te Kuiti and were riveted together there.
More work to strengthen and maintain the viaduct happened between 1950 and 1959, and again from 1970 to 1979. In 1983, the viaduct was painted with a red protective paint. More recently, from 2017 to 2018, the walkway was repaired, and other parts of the bridge were strengthened and cleaned.
