Main Road Bridge History

The history of the Main Road Bridge is interesting. The bridge connects The Village with Homedale, the oldest part of Wainuiomata.

Ford and Footbridge

Before the construction of Main Road Bridge, there was a ford that allowed access across the Wainuiomata River. Additionally, a footbridge existed as described in the biography of Christina Prouse (née McIlvride, 1860–1951) in Petticoat Pioneers by Miriam McGregor, published in 1975. It states: “Her education was acquired in the one-roomed school situated across the river, a footbridge being the only means of crossing”.

Single Lane Bridges

Around 1874, a wooden bridge was built, followed by a single-lane concrete bridge constructed in 1916 by Charles Seymer Whitcher (1885–1961). This concrete bridge was officially opened on Saturday, 19th February 1916, by John Wakeham (1848–1931), the Wainuiomata Riding representative on the Hutt County Council, with Mary Wood (née Prouse, 1861–1949) cutting the ribbon.

Dual-lane Bridge

In 1954, the bridge was widened to two lanes with an extension added to the downstream side to accommodate increased traffic. This extension was built by a builder named Williams. At the same time, a footpath was added in response to a request from the Wainuiomata Primary School Committee. Originally, the bridge featured concrete balustrades or railings, but these were replaced by a metal barrier in the 1950s.

Today, if you stroll beneath the bridge, you’ll easily notice the twin support columns dating back to the initial construction of a single-lane bridge, alongside the additional columns added during its upgrade to a double-lane structure.

Today

If you walk beneath the bridge, you’ll easily spot the twin support columns from the original single-lane construction, as well as the additional columns added during its expansion to a two-lane structure. Several pipes are also suspended underneath, attached to the footpath and the added lane.