Environment Canterbury provides river flow information about the Waimakariri river to the Christchurch City Council who makes a decision about closing the old Highway bridge as a safety precaution.

 

When the River stage height at the Waimakariri Gorge site reaches or exceeds 3 metres the decision is normally made to close the bridge.

 

When the river reaches a safe flow level (usually less than 300 cubic metres per second at the Old Highway bridge site) the survey team at Environment Canterbury begin gauging the river to determine the gravel levels of the river bed.

 

This information is then sent to the Christchurch City Council who decides whether to open the bridge or not.

 

For further assistance please contact Customer Service on 03 353 9007 or toll free on 0800 324 636.

You can also visit our website www.ecan.govt.nz