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Home »New Zealand Travel »Scenic Highlights »History & Culture »The Old Bridge Piers

The Old Bridge Piers - Clutha River

Old Bridge Piers over the Clutha River, New Zealand

Old Bridge Piers
Alexandra, New Zealand

The Old Bridge Piers are the remains of the original Alexandra Bridge in the Central Otago region of New Zealand.

Completed in 1882 at a cost of £16,111 (NZ$32,222), the Old Bridge Piers are a monument to early civil engineering.

The bridge crossed the mighty Clutha River, New Zealand's largest river by volume and second longest at 338 kilometres.

The piers were constructed of schist stone, quarried locally. The total height of the piers is 29.48 metres with 6.8 metres beneath the present water level. The construction of this bridge was a huge task when you consider the size of the Clutha River and the tools available at the time of construction.

The very first method of crossing the river was a packing case on a cable. This method was superseded by a punt, which ferried people across the river.

The name Clutha is taken from Scotland's Clyde River—Clutha being Gaelic for Clyde. To the Maori people the river was Mata-au (surfaced current).

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