Rangitīkei River

The Springvale Suspension Bridge crosses the Rangitīkei River on the Taihape–Napier Road (known as the Gentle Annie). It is located on the Ngamatea Plateau in the district of Ngamahanga, 41 km north–east of Taihape and 111 km west of Napier. It was built to support farming which increased in the inland Pātea region after World War I and the need to transport stock and wool to the port at Napier. The bridge has a span of 61m supported by 7m high concrete towers at either end. The deck is made of wood and at 2.4m wide is a single lane. ==Mangaweka Cantilever Bridge==

The Mangaweka Cantilever Bridge is the only steel cantilever road bridge to be built in New Zealand. It crosses the Rangitikei River connecting Mangaweka and the Kawhatau Valley. It is registered as a category 2 structure with Heritage New Zealand. The cantilever design was chosen in the 19th century by the Public Works Department after an earlier design had been destroyed by a flood in 1897. Construction of the bridge was setback due to focus on the development of the North Island Main Trunk line and the bridge was not completed until 1904. In 2016 the bridge was closed due to concerns it was not structurally sound and it was proposed to demolish it; however, local support for retention of the bridge let to it being retained as a pedestrian bridge with a replacement road bridge constructed nearby. ==References==