A visualisation of what the 100-metre-long suspension bridge across Manganui Gorge on Mt Taranaki will looks like once completed. Photo: Supplied / DOC
A 100-metre-long suspension bridge that will cross the Manganui Gorge on Mt Taranaki will protect trampers and skiers from potential rockfalls and avalanches.
The $1 million bridge will form part of the Taranaki Crossing - a network of 25 kilometres of tracks which has attracted more than $13m of government funding to enhance the visitor experience on the maunga.
It will connect the plateau carpark to the Manganui ski-field.
Department of Conservation strategic manager for the project, Carl Whittleston, said traversing the Manganui Gorge had long been a concern.
"There's the risk of rockfall and also when we have big snow packs in winter there's also an avalanche risk for people going through there which means we have to warn people about that risk."
In more extreme situations, the route had to be closed due to the avalanche risk, he added.
"There's been a couple of close calls ... for example on one day when the ski-field closed and everyone left and then an avalanche came down that night, so it's within the realms of possibility that you could have people going through when one came down."
Whittleston said the bridge would be an impressive structure when completed.
"This is a significant milestone for the Taranaki Crossing project, this bridge here - some 100-metres in length and some 40-metres plus in height from the bottom of the gorge there - [it] will be quite a sight."
Whittleston said DOC had been working closely with Ngati Ruanui on the placement and design of the bridge.
"One of the messages we heard was that it actually has to be a substantial bridge, it has to keep people safe and people have to feel that it is something they want to use instead of walking through the gorge."
To enhance the feeling of safety, the bridge is 1.2 metres wide and the bridge has been designed to have a stiffness so that while people are high in the air they will feel quite secure, Whittleston said.
"We've got wind speeds of up to 280km/h that we've had to design for, so they've put it into some 3D modelling software to see how that bridge will perform and that it will remain stable."
Once in place, the bridge would significantly improve access through this part of the mountain and make it much easier for people to make a short hike to the Manganui Lodge and ski area.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Kaiwhakaharae Rachel Rae said all matters relating to Koro Taranaki were significant to the iwi.
"The architectural design and modern safety features will create safe and more environmentally-friendly access to the Manganui Ski Area.
"We are continuing to hold discussions to ensure a strong Ruanuitanga narrative and approach throughout the project and beyond," she said.
The tender process was expected to be concluded in January and the bridge to completed in the autumn.