Makatote Viaduct, South Ruapehu. North Is. New Zealand.
S 39° 16.003 E 175° 23.440
60H E 361166 N 5652390
Built in 1905-08, the Makatote Railway Viaduct is recognised as an important part of New Zealands Engineering Heritage.
Waymark Code: WMV9P3
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 03/19/2017
Views: 2
Built by J and A Anderson Ltd of Christchurch to a design by P.S. Hay, this awesome viaduct crosses the deep gully of the Makatote River at the base of Mt Ruapehu and is 77 metres high and 262 metres long.
Engineers in charge of construction were J E W McEnnis (Public Works Dept) and G.A.Pascoe (Andersons).
At the roadside Lookout, a huge chunk of rock holds a brass plaque, an award from the IPENZ (Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand) and was unveiled in February 2009.
Interesting facts:
Spans 1, 2, 3, 9 and 10 are steel plate girders, spans 4-8 are steel Pratt trusses each 30.5 m (100 ft) 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. Pier 6 is the highest.
Rather than transport girders from their base in Lyttelton, on 25 June 1906, Andersons opened a large foundry, (285 ft (87 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m)) to fabricate the steel on site. It was powered by a wood-burning boiler and steam engine, with electric lights and machines. Electric overhead travelling cranes and a cableway (or Blondin) eased on-site transport. A water turbine drove the stone crusher and concrete mixer, (adverts from the period said they used 9,000 bags of Portland Cement).
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.
More information is available on the Website for The North Island Main Trunk - Over 100 years of Engineering...... (
visit link)