Ground testing on the banks and river bed near the Kakanui bridge begins this week, as progress on the replacement of the 124-year-old structure continues.

Earlier this year Waitaki District Council secured design funding for a replacement bridge, meaning the eventual project will be shovel-ready once construction funding is acquired.

A detailed survey of the land on either side of the Kakanui River has been completed, and investigation into the ground begins today (Wednesday).

Resource consent and archaeological authority for the ground investigation have been granted.

Testing involves drilling five test holes, including two in the river itself. The river tests will involve working from a barge, and there will be increased environmental controls to protect the river.

Mayor Gary Kircher said the Kakanui bridge had been an impending project for much of the past two decades, given its age and the increasing number of closures during floods.

“This work will help ensure that the new bridge should be able to serve our community for the next century or more.”

It is not expected to affect traffic in the Waianakarua Road area, however the boat ramp and parking area will be occupied by drilling equipment for periods during the anticipated two-week testing period, subject to conditions.

The existing Kakanui bridge was opened in 1899, and is the second bridge at that location. The original piles for the 1871 bridge can still be seen upstream at low tide.