Wynyard Crossing facts for kids

Wynyard Crossing, a special bridge in Auckland.

A satellite view showing where Wynyard Crossing is located.

The Wynyard Crossing bridge, open for boats, in May 2011.

The Wynyard Crossing is a modern bridge in Auckland, New Zealand. It was built in 2011. This bridge is special because it can lift up! It's made for people walking and riding bikes. The bridge connects the Wynyard Quarter area to Te Wero Island and the fun Viaduct Harbour. This helps people get around the Auckland waterfront easily.

How Wynyard Crossing Works

This bridge is about 100 meters (328 feet) long. It's a type of bridge called a bascule bridge. This means it has parts that can lift up. When boats need to pass, two sections of the bridge lift up. This creates a wide path for boats, about 36 meters (118 feet) wide.

Smaller boats can usually pass under the bridge without it lifting. This is because the bridge has a 3-meter (10-foot) gap when it's closed, even at high tide. When the bridge needs to open, it takes about 90 seconds. Closing it takes about 60 seconds. A person on site controls the bridge. Boats can even talk to the operator using a radio!

Why the Bridge Was Built

Plans for a bridge here started a while ago. People wanted a bigger bridge that could carry buses and trams. But that bridge would have cost a lot of money, around $50 million. Also, there was a big economic problem around 2008. This made it hard to build such an expensive bridge.

New Zealand was getting ready for the Rugby World Cup 2011. They needed a way for people to cross the water quickly. So, they decided to build a simpler bridge for walkers and cyclists instead. This bridge was made from parts built somewhere else and then put together. The good news is, the foundations of the Wynyard Crossing are strong. This means a bigger bridge for public transport could be built there later if needed.

Building the Bridge

The Wynyard Crossing bridge was planned to cost about $3.5 million. Work on the foundations started in January 2011. In April 2011, the first big parts of the bridge were put in place. Each of these parts weighed about 29 tons! The bridge was ready and opened to the public in early August 2011.