Two bridges in North Otago may be closed after a report to the Waitaki District Council identified serious safety concerns.
One, on Slaughter Yard Rd, Enfield, poses problems for the council because if it is closed within six months it will involve major detours.
The other, on Elderslie Rd near Enfield, has a ford which will be available for use.
The council's senior roading engineer, Hugh Francklin, said the engineer's report indicated the Elderslie Rd bridge was in a more serious state than the Slaughter Yard Road bridge. It recommended the Elderslie Rd bridge be closed immediately.
The condition of the Slaughter Yard Road bridge was also a concern, and the report recommended closure within the next six months.
Mr Francklin said the Slaughter Yard Rd bridge posed more problems because the crossing was too deep to be replaced by a ford or culvert. Repairing the bridge would cost more than $200,000 and a new bridge even more. Funding was not immediately available to do that, he said.
Both bridges are wooden and estimated to be more than 100 years old. If they are closed, they are unlikely to be replaced, due to low usage and high replacement costs.
