The new building was to have been carted 26km from Balclutha to Clydevale. Instead, it had to detour about 550km through Outram, Middlemarch, Central Otago, Queenstown and Gore.
The problem was the 220sq m Clutha Valley Presbyterian Church, built by Big River Homes in Balclutha, plus truck and trailer weighs 58 tonnes, 14 tonnes above the Clydevale Bridge's weight restriction.
Clydevale parishioners, meanwhile, were not too perturbed by a day's delay in delivery. After all, said church building committee chairman Graeme Steel, they had been using a small church at Tuapeka Mouth and an old post office at Clydevale for the past two
And they effectively had been waiting since the late 1960s when it was first suggested they begin raising funds for a central church. At that time, the parish had five small churches.
Big River Homes director and owner Mark van Asperen said the extra day did add a "significant cost" to the operation.
"We did know about the weight restrictions but it was a bit of a gamble."
The Clutha District Council had earmarked repairs for the bridge and it had been hoped they would have been completed.
Mr van Asperen said it was hoped the unit would be on its piles by tonight.
Mr Steel said the church was planning an open day but still had some work to do, including adding a veranda and deck.
