Blue Pools Track has been closed since May 2023. Photo: Unsplash / Michael Amadeus
The Department of Conservation is re-opening the popular Blue Pools Track north of Wānaka this weekend, after two years of repair work.
Walkers can expect to see an upgraded Blue Pools bridge, a completely new Makarora swing bridge and a new, raised boardwalk.
DOC closed the bridges in May 2023, when engineering reports signalled they needed safety upgrades.
Previously, DOC operations manager Charlie Sklenar said they were being used by as many as 550 people a day in peak summer.
"At times, 75 people would cross the bridges each hour and visitors were regularly exceeding the signposted 'safe number of people to cross' advice," she said. "We needed to ensure these structures were safe for the public.
"We made it into a major upgrade and we've really done some significant improvements."
Sklenar said the work had been a two-year slog, involving DOC engineers, contractors, specialists, geotechnical consultations and some "unexpected complexities".
"For those that know Makarora, [it's] very close to the West Coast, very wet conditions, very challenging. Because these are superstrength bridges, there's some really, really big anchors that needed to go into the ground, so dealing with those conditions has been challenging."
Sklenar said the community was buzzing about the opening.
"I think it's going to be pretty popular over the coming weeks."
