Opiki Toll Bridge

The Opiki Toll Bridge is an abandoned bridge in Opiki, located in the Horowhenua district of New Zealand's North Island. Spanning the Manawatū River, the Opiki Bridge was once a vital link for the local community. But after the local flax industry collapsed and the government decided to build a new two-lane concrete road bridge over the river less than 400 meters away, the Opiki suspension bridge became redundant and was partially dismantled. Today, its dangling suspension wires serve as a reminder to passersby of the important role the bridge once played in the region’s economy. Opiki Toll Bridge as on July 2013. Credit: Wikimedia Commons The Makerua region, within the Opiki district, was originally swampland. In the late 1800s, it was decided to drain the area to create new farmland. The draining of the Makerua Swamp and the lowering of water levels created ideal conditions for growing flax. By 1900, the swamp supported more than 14,500 acres of flax plants. Before long, flax millers established mills along the riverbanks, harvesting flax from the swamp. The Makerua Swamp became New Zealand’s largest commercial flax-growing area. At its production peak between 1910 and 1918, some 30 flax mills operated in the region, producing nearly two-thirds of New Zealand's total flax fiber output. Once the flax was dried, stripped, and processed, it had to be transported across the river to the railway station at Rongiotu. Initially, this was done using a flying fox—a platform hauled across on a wire rope. When the river was low enough, a cable-drawn punt was used instead. Both methods were slow, laborious, and inefficient. As flax production increased, the need for a proper bridge became evident. In 1915, a group of landowners and flax-milling investors formed the Tane Hemp Company Ltd. and commissioned Joseph Dawson of Pahiatua—an engineer and bridge designer—to build the bridge.