New $3m Christchurch footbridge already rusty - before it has even opened

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

A controversial new $3.1 million footbridge has started to rust – before it has even opened to the public.

The bridge over the Avon River in central Christchurch has no opening date, even though construction has finished.

It was built and funded by Crown rebuild agency Ōtākaro as part of regeneration plans for the city after the earthquakes.

But the metal balustrades, designed to be reminiscent of harakeke/flax plants, have already started corroding, prompting an investigation by the bridge’s design and construction teams.

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