Rarotonga’s Empire Bridge has been used by traffic for the last week and only a few jobs remain until it's fully complete.

Landholdings Ltd representative John Batty said the removal of the temporary bridge, some stream bed works, the two remaining wing wall construction and some minor work on the rock armour, are the last jobs that need to be completed.

Batty said the vaka storage shed also needed to be put back and there was some stream alignment work that needed to be completed upstream. The final job will be the asphalt being laid.  

He said progress on the bridge was “about on track”.

“It is great to see the new bridge being used as it was designed and intended,” Batty said.

On January 17, 1906, the Cook Islands Gazette recorded that the original Empire Bridge was open to traffic – 116 years before the new bridge opened a week ago.

Work on the Empire Bridge replacement began on August 11 last year.

The project was divided into five stages, the first was the temporary support system to the original bridge and the second was the temporary bypass bridge. Stages three to five of the project, were the removal and replacement of the existing bridge and stream works.

The construction of the new bridge cost $5 million.

Batty on behalf of Landholdings Ltd thanked the design engineer from BECA NZ, Ronald Wessel and Kiri Ataera and her team from Infrastructure Cook Islands. He also thanked the service providers, the subcontractors, stakeholders and neighbours of Empire Bridge.

“It’s not easy trying to run a business next to a construction site, we appreciate your tolerance,” Batty said to the neighbouring businesses.

“A huge thanks to all road users, your patience has been noticed and appreciated.

“The Landholdings Ltd team, well-done everyone.”