Ballarat Street's smashed heritage bridge ready for a remake

Work is set to begin today to restore a historical stone bridge in central Queenstown that has been hit and damaged twice by vehicles.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council was already planning repairs to the Ballarat Street Bridge following a motorist hitting it in November.

But before they got to it a second vehicle crashed into the same section of wall.

"We had anticipated undertaking repairs after winter, once the weather had warmed up sufficiently to ensure mortar could be applied to the required quality, and have since incorporated the latest damage into the overall project scope," a spokesperson for the council tells Crux.

The fix-it job is not straightforward as the bridge is heritage-listed.

The council is required to bring in a certified stonemason approved by Heritage New Zealand to do the repairs.

Each stone will need to be removed by hand and mortar cleaned off them. They will be catalogued as they are removed so when the wall is rebuilt each stone can be placed as close as possible to where it originally was.

The council is estimating the job could take up to four weeks.

How much it will cost, and who pays for it, is still under discussion.

"We have liaised with police on their investigation into both incidents," the council spokesperson says.

"Whilst the overall cost and who will be paying remains subject to final confirmation, we have identified the parties responsible for the damage and there are ongoing discussions with those parties in respect of payment for the damage caused.

"Council is highly motivated to ensure that ratepayers do not have to shoulder the costs associated with repairing damage caused by the carelessness of others."

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga lists the stone arch bridge as a category one historic place.

It was constructed in 1882 to provide access across Horne Creek - once known as Town Creek.

While originally erected by local stonemason James McNeil, the bridge was upgraded in 2002.

Mr McNeill had immigrated from Scotland in his teens and worked as a stonemason in Oamaru and Alexandra before moving to Queenstown in 1882.

What you need to know:

• On Thursday, lower Ballarat Street is set to be closed between Athol Street and Camp Street between 7am and 6pm
• From Friday onwards, the taxi rank on lower Ballarat Street will be unavailable on weekdays between 7am and 6pm while repairs are carried out. Taxi stands remain available nearby on Camp Street during these times

Main images (Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and QLDC): Two separate vehicle crashes have damaged the historic Ballarat Bridge in central Queenstown.