Bertrand Road suspension bridge
Overview
Waitara River
The source of the Waitara River lies in the very steep hill country to the east of Mount Taranaki/Egmont, near Tahora. After proceeding in a southwesterly direction toward Central Taranaki, the river abruptly turns to flow in a northeasterly direction to the Tasman Sea: meeting it at the coastal...
, linking Huirangi
Huirangi
Huirangi is a settlement in Taranaki, New Zealand. Waitara lies about 7 kilometres to the north. The Waitara River flows to the east of the settlement, with the Bertrand Road suspension bridge providing access to the other side.-Education:...
, near Lepperton
Lepperton
Lepperton is a small village in north Taranaki, New Zealand. It is approximately 6 km inland from Waitara township, 5 km west of the Waitara River, and 1 km east of State Highway 3A, which connects Inglewood to Waitara....
and Tikorangi
Tikorangi
Tikorangi is a settlement in Taranaki, New Zealand. Waitara lies about 6 kilometres to the north-west. The Waitara River flows to the west of the settlement, with the Bertrand Road suspension bridge providing access to the other side....
in north Taranaki, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The original bridge was built in 1897, and rebuilt in 1927 (using an adapted form of the original design).
The original idea for the bridge was proposed by a Waitara
Waitara, New Zealand
Waitara is the name of a town and a river in the northern part of the Taranaki Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Waitara is located just off State Highway 3, 15 km northeast of New Plymouth....
councillor, Levi Sarten, as crossing the river to Tikorangi was proving treacherous, and road access to the area was poor.