Arapuni Suspension Bridge

The bridge spans the Arapuni gorge about downstream from the Arapuni Dam. As it was a relatively simple ancillary structure associated with what at the time was New Zealand's largest civil engineering project, the suspension bridge itself received little mention in progress reports and media accounts. Construction started in May 1925 and finished sometime in the three months after April 1926. The bridge does not seem to have had a formal opening function. The bridge has a span of It has a high steel lattice tower on the true left. On the true right, the bridge footing is cut into the side of the river bank and the foundation for the suspension cables is built on top of the cliff. ==Today==

The bridge is a popular tourist destination. The site can be accessed via a walkway starting on Arapuni Road opposite Rabone Street. Bridge users are rewarded with views of the scenic gorge. Geological features can be seen, and the cliffs on the true right of the landing are of volcanic origin and formed by ignimbrite blocks, which are vertically fissured by cooling stresses. The bridge is sometimes called the Arapuni Swing Bridge, for example on signs along the walkway to the bridge. In New Zealand, the term 'swing bridge' is commonly used to refer to suspension bridges that act as footbridges because they 'swing' as pedestrians walk across. ==References==