Wouldn’t you agree that the Upper Harbour Bridge is an impressive sight? This motorway bridge is also called the Greenhithe Bridge. It is more than just a way to get from one side of the Waitematā Harbour to the other. The Upper Harbour Bridge connects Hobsonville and Greenhithe. It is a vital part of State Highway 18. It gained importance when the Western Ring Route was completed in 2017.
The Upper Harbour Bridge is actually two bridges. The original bridge was built in November 1975. As time passed, it couldn’t handle the growing traffic. More than 27000 vehicles used it daily. It was expected to increase to 35000. So, a second bridge was built beside the first one.
Beca designed the new bridge. Fletcher Construction built it between 2005 and 2006. They used self-compacting concrete. The new bridge cost $35 million NZD. It is 524 meters long and 16.5 meters wide. It has ten spans. The designers wanted it to look like the original bridge. The original cantilever bridge is 457 meters long. It has seven spans.
Looking at both Upper Harbour Bridges, you will see that they have a different number of lanes depending on the direction. There are three lanes heading towards Greenhithe which is uphill. There are two lanes going downhill. Before the Upper Harbour Motorway opened, Transit NZ closed the old bridge. They needed to fix it. The old tensioning cables were causing it to sag. All lanes on both bridges were open when the motorway opened on December 6 2007. The new Upper Harbour Bridge also has a cycle-way and walkway on its north side.
The Upper Harbour Bridge project received a Silver Award. It was from the Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand. This was for the bridge and the causeway widening. But did you know something interesting happened here? The original bridge was used for bungee jumping equipment tests in 1986. A. J. Hackett did these tests. This eventually led to the world’s first commercial bungee jumping company. So, this bridge has a special place in bungee jumping history. The Upper Harbour Bridge is more than just concrete and steel. It represents innovation. It is a vital transportation link. It is also a place where adventure began.