Fears over sagging bridge

The replacement of a heavily used bridge in Masterton is planned, but some residents are worried that its visible sagging is getting worse. The Colombo Rd bridge over the Waipoua River is made up of two bridges, and the eastern southbound side is sagging in one section. Masterton resident John Macleod takes his dogs for walks in the area nearly every day and was shocked by the amount of sagging. ‘‘I’ve been going over this bridge a couple of times a day for the last couple of years, and this is of great concern to me,’’ he said. The Masterton District Council is seeking funding with the help of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to replace the eastern part of the bridge. A council spokesman said engineers surveyed the structure every fortnight and no significant changes had been identified in the past four months.