Edith Cavell Bridge to stay closed after Milford Sound quakes
Following a 5.5-magnitude earthquake near Milford Sound, authorities have inspected infrastructure and reopened the Edith Cavell Bridge. Officials are now focusing on road repairs and improving tsunami preparedness in the region.
Why it matters
It underscores the importance of disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience in seismically active regions.
Fallen rocks have been removed from the road after last night's earthquakes in the South Island, and a major bridge has reopened following an inspection.
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake hit 40 kilometres northeast of Milford Sound at 6:16pm on Wednesday. That was followed by a 5.6 quake, and three more light to weak aftershocks.
Edith Cavell Bridge was closed this morning until engineers inspected the structure, the Queenstown Lakes District Council said on Thursday.
The bridge crosses the Shotover River in Arthurs Point, about 15 minutes from Queenstown.
Crews were also working to open one lane of Glenorchy-Queenstown Road.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in