25 May 2010

State highway bridge damage adds up

3:40 pm on 25 May 2010

A total of $1.55 million in damage has been done to state highway bridges in the past five years by truck loads that were either too high or too wide.

The Transport Agency says there were 34 significant incidents involving over-dimension trucks.

The severity of one incident led to a bridge being demolished.

The figures, obtained under the Official Information Act, do not include the numerous bridge strikes, particularly in Auckland, in which damage is minor.

There have been eight instances where the truck driver, transport company or their insurer reimbursed the agency for significant damage, with the amounts totalling $776,000.