Taramakau Bridge

42°56′S 171°14′E

Protecting paradise

Ecosystem: The wild and wonderful West Coast

The Taramakau Bridge, which crosses the Taramakau River between Kumara Junction and Greymouth on the West Coast, was a two year and $25 million dollar project for Waka Kotahi NZTA and was officially opened in July 2018. Around 3,500 vehicles use the two-lane bridge on State Highway 6, each day.

The new bridge was built to replace the existing one-lane Taramakau Bridge which dated back to the 1800s, and still serviced road, rail and cyclists. This important regional project means local business operators, freight vehicles and residents no longer have to wait at each end on their daily commutes and has provided a safer and more efficient transport link for West Coast locals and for tourists.

Kauri Park was commissioned with the extensive landscaping needed for the site and the project came with its logistical challenges given the only access was through alpine passes given the disruption and closure of the Kaikoura.

Ecovitalism: Economy boosting ecology

At Kauri Park, we count ourselves very lucky to be the ecovitalists who have the privilege of nurturing plants for projects in some of the most picturesque locations in the world. There is something wild, untouched and awe-inspiring by the natural beauty of the west coast of the South Island. We are delighted that our plants are on a mission, in and around the glorious Taramakau Bridge, to add to the ecosystem around them.

Due to its location, our plant list was quite different to those used in similar roading projects in the North Island. It included large numbers of species such as Chionochloa Rubra, Cortaderia Richardii and other species typically found on the West Coast of the South Island.

We were once again pleased to partner with Fulton Hogan on this project, taking great responsibility to make sure our plantings – and planting teams – worked seamlessly with construction.

Daniel McDonald from Fulton Hogan: “In July this year we were pleased to wrap up one of the largest projects that Fulton Hogan Landscape has been involved in. The Taramakau Bridge construction project was brought together and beautified with over 25 thousand native trees and shrubs, all supplied by Kauri Park Nursery. With a project of this size and tight time lines it was not only important to us to partner with a company that has the infrastructure and capabilities to produce large quantities of premium product, but also has the follow up customer services that we require. The execution and delivery of all the required plants for the Taramakau Bridge project was near flawless. The plants were delivered on site to the project by Kauri Park on the West Coast of the South Island, on time and in great condition.”