Tuesday 13 September 2011

Bridge of Remembrance will be saved

Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance which was significantly damaged in the recent earthquakes will definitely be saved.

Mayor Bob Parker wants to reassure the public that there is no way this community will allow the Bridge of Remembrance to be pulled down.

“This is one of the most important sites in the city and you can be rest assured we will do whatever it takes to ensure this Bridge restored. It is a sacred memorial and we're therefore committed to fixing it,” he says.

Mr Parker says the Council is currently working through a concept and design process for a permanent solution to repairing the Bridge of Remembrance, as any temporary measures could further damage the Bridge.

“We are very aware of the adverse impact on the heritage fabric of the Bridge of Remembrance that may result from any temporary reinforcing work placed on the arch.”

He says the Bridge has sustained serious damage and the cost of fixing it will be substantial.

“Given that the cost of steel bracing for any temporary solution is not insignificant and is likely to be around half a million dollars, we feel that it would be counter-productive to the overall permanent solution to put a temporary solution in place at this stage,” says Mr Parker.

“The Bridge of Remembrance has sustained serious damage and it will definitely cost big dollars to fix - we're likely to be talking millions of dollars.”

Mr Parker says the Council is in discussions with the Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) about plans for restoring the Bridge.

ENDS

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