No bridge too far for man behind new Aoraki Mt Cook bridge

Bridge designer and builder Dan Crocker says creating the country's new longest suspension bridge, at Aoraki Mt Cook, involved unique challenges, including weather so fierce it stripped the paint from their machinery. There is virtually no bridge too far for the man behind the new Hooker Valley suspension bridge at Aoraki Mount Cook. The marvel of design and modern engineering is due to open next week and replaces the old one that closed due to erosion caused by storms in April last year.

It spans 189 metres across the Hooker River, making it the longest suspension bridge in the country. Construction started in August last year, and since then workers have faced the challenge of gales and snowfall during construction. The man behind the design, bridge architect and engineer, Dan Crocker told Checkpoint that he feels amazed seeing the bridge in its finished form.

"It's been a lot of work getting to this point, but you know, one of the things is when you arrive on site and everything fits and you've got that beautiful scenery, it just looks right. As the longest footbridge in Aotearoa, Crocker said it had been no easy feat getting to this point, with the remote site adding an extra layer of challenges. "Conventionally with a bridge, you might roll up with a crane and concrete trucks.

You can't do that in this environment, everything comes in via helicopter. "You have to work backwards from what you can get to site and working in these challenging environments. It's a very different type of bridge construction in these remote areas" Wild weather at the remote site had also presented issues.

"The contractor brings excavators and containers to site, the winds picked up and brought all the gravel with it and it ended up stripping the paint off the excavators and the containers. "You can only imagine how much of a severe environment that is to work in... it's not much fun, but on the other days when it's beautiful sunshine and you can see the mountains it makes it worth it. Unlike a traditional suspension bridge, the new structure lacks what gave the 'swing bridge' its name, so those taking on the near 200m journey don't have to worry about losing their footing.

"Some people are comfortable with moving structures and heights, but a lot of people aren't. So what we try and do is make it as stable as possible while still maintaining that lightweight kind of appearance. "There is a little bit of movement, but it's definitely suppressed compared to what you would normally have. While the Hooker Valley bridge may be the longest, it is certainly not the first pedestrian bridge Crocker has designed.