Otira Viaduct

About

The Otira Viaduct is a large road bridge to the south of Otira, between Otira and the Arthur's Pass summit. Completed in 1999 by McConnell Smith Pty Ltd, the 440 metres (1, 440 ft) four-span viaduct carries State Highway 73 over a stretch of unstable land, replacing a narrow, winding, dangerous section of road that was prone to avalanches, slips and closures. One person, Tony Western, 25, was killed during construction in July 1998 when a chain failed and a pump fell on him. A plaque was installed in his memory in the base of the westernmost pier.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.