New South Island Farm Bridge Delivers Huge Benefits

When a farm bridge is in a less than ideal location, it creates all sorts of headaches.

Calsi Farms Ltd dairy farm in Dacre, Southland, had two original bridges crossing the Waihopai Stream. But tight ‘s’ bends, access problems, environmental issues, plus health and safety concerns meant Bridge It NZ was engaged to construct a 14m concrete replacement.

Completed in April 2023, it is the first South Island farming project for Bridge It NZ and farmer Hamish Wise couldn’t be happier with the finished result.

“Overall the whole process has gone very smoothly,” he says. “Bridge It NZ is a one-stop-shop. They pull together everything from consenting with council and the building arrangements, through to final inspection and sign off. The fact that we weren’t jumping between different parties to achieve the final outcome was a real bonus.”

Unlocking Land Potential

Hamish says the original bridge at the rear of his 240ha farm had always been difficult. 

“Getting the cows in from the back of the farm to the cow shed was quite cumbersome and time consuming. There were sharp turns and added distance involved. It was also an ongoing environmental concern because we had a high intensity cow race running parallel with a section of the stream, which we never saw as having a future.”

A new location was chosen for the replacement bridge and associated laneway which created a direct route to the back of the farm, saving cow walking time and ensuring the animals were traveling well away from the stream in either direction of the new bridge.

“It significantly enhances cow flow to our cow shed and will reduce lameness as well because cows are no longer walking down through what was a low area of race that was prone to being wet and harsh,” Hamish says. 

Improved accessibility through the farm is another big benefit. “Where the new bridge is located, we’ve opened up some of the best soils on the farm that we have. We now have capacity to take anything over the new bridge – cows or machinery – so we can make full use of those soils which are now closer to the cow shed for grazing and silage making. It’s opened up the back half of the farm seamlessly.”

Safety Improvements

The new bridge is Class 1 (0.85HN), suitable for all farm operations such as fully laden trucks and trailers, milk tankers, tractors, contractors, and general farm use. Hamish says truck and trailers, along with larger machinery, weren’t physically able to get over the old deteriorating bridges. “And even if they could, we wouldn’t have wanted them to because we weren’t sure what they were rated for.

“Now we’re fully confident that we can send a truck and trailer from the front of the farm to the back of the farm without any problems.”

Working With Bridge It NZ

Through initial conversations, Bridge It NZ advised that an all-concrete bridge was the best option for Calsi Farms. It was cost effective when compared to other bridge types, and requires very low maintenance over its life.

Installation was delayed until February 2023 to avoid the busy calving season, and Bridge It NZ worked closely with vetted local suppliers, including Stresscrete (concrete bridge panels), Matt Baron Fencing (piling), Smiths Cranes, and Chris Dalzell (lead installation contractor) to achieve a high-quality result. 

The all-concrete bridge arrived on site in two sections, ready to be craned into place after the foundations were constructed. 

"Bridge It NZ was very responsive. They made the effort to come down and do the site analysis themselves. Kim was good to get along with, and it was an all-round good result. They project managed the whole process for us so it was a turn key product.”

The only challenge that cropped up was the extra piling required to hit a firm foundation.

“We had to keep ramming the abutment piles further into the ground than we were expecting. But even so, Bridge It NZ came to an arrangement with us to limit the impact of the extra cost.” 

Hamish says the new bridge has delivered a host of benefits on-farm. “We’re very pleased. It’s all come up really well and it’s good to have the project finished before winter.”

Bridge It NZ provides crossing solutions for animals, machinery and farm vehicles. We collaborate closely with you to understand your needs and will deliver a customised solution with a ‘no surprises’ pricing policy. Where unforeseen costs and variations arise, the team works closely with the client to find the best solution. We have installed well over 300 bridges nationwide, and are the experts in bridge design, construction and installation.

Contact us now to discuss your next project.