Returning Te Wero Wynyard Crossing Bridge to service December explainer

Te Wero Wynyard Crossing Bridge has been closed since March 2024 to undergo a significant programme of preventative maintenance works.

Work on the bridge is making good progress, and on track to return to full service this month.

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What is happening in December 2024?

With the refurbishment work complete, commissioning of Te Wero Wynyard Crossing Bridge is underway as the project team prepare for the bridge to return to service this month. The bridge’s reopening will mark the completion of months of detailed and extensive work.

Commissioning is a key stage that fully tests all systems to make sure they’re operating correctly, safely and reliably before the bridge is reopened to the public. 

Part of the commissioning process includes determining exactly when the bridge will be ready and currently the project team is targeting Friday 13 December.

The bridge will initially be open between 7.30am and 11.30pm, allowing it to operate in ‘live’ conditions and provide access for the vast majority of users, while still giving the flexibility to quickly detect and rectify any remaining issues that might arise.

In the meantime, commissioning will cover:

• Structural testing: Now that the bridge spans are back in place, they will be rigorously tested to ensure they’re correctly aligned. As part of this, visitors to Wynyard Quarter will notice the bridge spans raising and lowering, sometimes together and sometimes independently. 
• Electrical and mechanical systems testing: All electrical systems are rigorously tested, including checking the operation of lights, sensors, safety barriers, and control devices. All movable parts are tested for correct operation to ensure smooth transitions and proper function. Bridge operational staff are also undergoing full training on the new systems.
• Quality control inspections: Throughout the refurbishment process, quality control checks were performed at every stage to ensure that each repair or replacement met strict safety and engineering standards. A thorough examination of the materials used, the precision of repairs, and the quality of installations is underway to make sure the bridge complies with standards and specifications.

The bridge will remain closed as our project team and bridge operators complete these final checks. 

In the meantime, the popular Hogwash ferry, which has clocked more than 140,000 passengers since it began operations, will continue to run between the Viaduct Events Centre and the New Zealand Maritime Museum from 7am, seven days a week. 

As well as being a handy way to get across from the Maritime Museum to the Viaduct Events Centre, Hogwash also offers a great and unique view of the Waitematā Harbour in addition to a closer look at the team working on the bridge. Santa’s Elves will be providing some weekend fun for passengers leading up until Christmas – so keep a look out for them!

Background

Te Wero Wynyard Crossing Bridge, an important link between Auckland city centre and Wynyard Quarter, has been closed to the public since March 2024 to undergo a significant programme of preventative maintenance works.

This includes a full overhaul of old mechanical and electrical parts, sand-blasting and remedying steelwork and applying new protective coatings. At the completion of the physical works, a thorough commissioning process and acceptance tests will be conducted to ensure the bridge is reliable and safe for public use when it reopens.

While the works are carried out, the bridge will remain closed to pedestrians. When the spans are in place, but the bridge is out of operation, the spans legally have to remain upright to allow free access to marine traffic, a condition of the bridge’s resource consent.