Armagh Street Park Bridge
Armagh Street Park Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The bridge in 2011 | |
| Coordinates | 43°31′44″S 172°37′38″E / 43.52878°S 172.62733°E |
| Carries | cars, pedestrians, cyclists |
| Crosses | Avon River / Ōtākaro |
| Locale | Hagley Park, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Maintained by | Christchurch City Council |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | brick arch |
| Material | Clay brick, stone, cast-iron |
| Width | 41 feet (12 m)[1] |
| Longest span | 40 feet (12 m)[2] |
| No. of spans | 1 |
| History | |
| Designer | Charles Walkden |
| Constructed by | Greig and Hunter[3] |
| Opened | 26 November 1885[2] |
| Designated | 6 June 2004 |
| Reference no. | 1834 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Armagh Street Park Bridge, also known as the Park Bridge, College Bridge and Armagh Street Hagley Bridge,[1] is located in Christchurch, New Zealand. The structure, built in 1885, spans the Avon River / Ōtākaro at Park Terrace and leads into Hagley Park.[4] The bridge is registered as a Category II heritage structure with Heritage New Zealand.
History[edit]
The original bridge at the end of Armagh Street crossing the Avon River / Ōtākaro into Hagley Park was a two-span wooden footbridge, built in 1860.[1] The desire to enable a horse and carriage to drive through the park from Christchurch to Riccarton prompted the council to commission a more permanent bridge in 1885.[1] Much like the Armagh Street Bridge a few blocks away, Charles Walkden (1824–1908), the City Surveyor, provided the design while Greig & Hunter were the builders.[3]
Around 1935 Abigail Mickle donated iron gates to be installed at the western end of the bridge in Hagley Park as a memorial to her late husband, Dr Adam Mickle, a surgeon and former city councillor.[3]
Today the bridge primarily provides vehicle access to the Christchurch Botanic Gardens car parking area, and is also part of the Uni-Cycle bike path.[5]
In 2004, the bridge was registered as a Category II heritage structure with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.[3]
Architecture and fittings[edit]
It is constructed of brick, stone from Mount Somers,[3] cast iron, as well as unreinforced concrete ribbing, unreinforced concrete thrust blocks, and unreinforced concrete footings. The masonry arch features a clear span of 40 feet (12 m).[2] At 41 feet (12 m) wide,[2] the bridge accommodates two lanes of vehicle traffic as well as pedestrian footpaths on both sides. Along with the balustrade's neo-gothic ornamentation, the structure coheres with the established pattern for central city bridges.[3]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b c d Ince 1998, p. 92.
- ^ a b c d Ince 1998, p. 93.
- ^ a b c d e f "Park bridge", Heritage New Zealand, retrieved 15 April 2024
- ^ "The Armagh Street Bridge, Park Terrace, Christchurch". The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 73. Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- ^ "Christchurch bike map", Christchurch City Council, archived from the original on 28 February 2024, retrieved 15 April 2024
Bibliography[edit]
- Ince, John (1998). A City of Bridges: A History of Bridges over the Avon and Heathcote Rivers. Christchurch: Christchurch City Council. ISBN 0958369623.