Makatote Viaduct. South Ruapehu. North Is. New Zealand.
S 39° 16.003 E 175° 23.440
60H E 361166 N 5652390
This awesome railway viaduct known as Bridge 179 NIMT crosses the Makatote River gorge on the lower slopes of Mt Ruapehu near SH4, between Ohakune and National Park.
Waymark Code: WMV9P7
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 03/19/2017
Views: 0
Located on the North Island Main Trunk Line between Ohakune and National Park, the viaduct crosses over the deep river gorge of the Makatote Rover, while the SH4 road loops around the sides of the gorge. A rest area on the roadside provides a good view point of the viaduct and contains an information panel alongside an Engineering Plaque Monument.
Built by J and A Anderson Ltd of Christchurch to a design by P.S. Hay, the last girder was placed on 4 June 1908, following which the cableway was dismantled to allow earthworks and track laying to be completed on 3 August 1908.
This distinctive viaduct was the last and highest structure constructed on the NIMT (North Is Main Trunk).
Interesting Facts:
The Viaduct is 262 metres in length and 79 metres high. It is the third highest rail bridge in the whole of New Zealand but it is the highest on the North Is Main Trunk Line.
It consists of 10 spans on 11 piers. Spans 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10 are steel plate girders, spans 4-8 are steel Pratt trusses each 30.5m long. Piers 1, 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11 are of reinforced concrete with piers 4 to 8 being steel trestles on reinforced concrete footings.
The bridge was constructed in 1905-08.
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