Daylight has revealed the extent of the damage to the Waiho Bridge at Franz Josef on the West Coast after it collapsed yesterday. Your playlist will load after this ad 1 NEWS reporter Sam Clarke told TVNZ1's Breakfast from Franz Josef twisted metal and concrete from the bridge can be seen in the river. A state of emergency remains in place for the Westland District due to heavy rain in the area. State Highway 6 from Hokitika to Makarora is closed until further notice after multiple slips along the road and the Waiho Bridge collapsing yesterday.<doc-sep>Westland locals raised concerns about the safety of a bridge in the area just a week before it collapsed. The one lane Waiho Bridge near Franz Josef fell apart in front of onlookers on Tuesday, due to severe flooding underneath it. Westland Mayor Bruce Smith told The AM Show on Thursday the community raised concerns about the bridge long before it was destroyed. "They were saying if we get a flood that bridge is going to go and this wall that you've allowed us to put up, the gravel wall, is going to wash away. "It's been washing away and it's so frustrating, this has been going on for seven years." New Zealand Transport Agency spokesperson Colin Hey told Newshub on Wednesday the bridge was an important link for the community. "That particular link is vital and we realise how important it is and we'll be doing everything we can to get it reinstated as quickly as possible." Smith echoed his sentiments later that day, saying the bridge had cut off not only tourists, but members of the community too. "There are substantial dairy farms on the south side of the Waiho River, so you know it's how we operate, it's how we live," he said. He told The AM Show on Thursday the community can handle losing the bridge, but is mourning the loss of one of its own. Sixty-six year old Gloria Reardon-Hirst was found dead on Wednesday, washed up in the Arahura Valley. It's believed she was swept away in the floodwaters. "I mean we can handle the loss of assets, but the loss of life is just terrible," Smith said. The bridge is expected to be replaced in the next week to 10 days. Newshub.<doc-sep>Bridge over Waiho river in New Zealand gets washed away due to heavy storm A state of emergency has been announced in the South Islands of New Zealand after the bridge over Waiho river washed away due to torrential rain and gale force winds. The weather has been declared a '100-year-event' by district's mayor Bruce Smith. He said, 'There is a huge amount of rain … I haven't seen all of the rivers impacted in Westland at exactly the same time.' He also mentioned that the safety of the residents is on the top priority but the people living in the area feel otherwise. Franz Josef resident Logan Skinner had revealed that he warned the authorities about the bridge three days ago it washed away. He said, 'On Sunday, I sent them an email and warned them about it. We said the north abutment of the bridge will go because there's rocks missing from it and it's at risk. They came back and said nothing was wrong.' The breaking of the bridge has resulted in $30 million worth of damage as reported by Stuff. TVNZ broadcasted the live footage on Wednesday morning of what was left of the bridge, showing just support structures and twisted debris on one end of the river remaining, with at least half of the bridge destroyed. The area has been on high alert ever since and the process of evacuating people is going on. A body of a woman is also said to be found on the banks of the river. It is said that she stepped out of her vehicle and tried to cross the flooded waters on foot when the river washed her away. Civil Defence West Coast says the rainfall is expected to ease come midnight from South Westland. 'As the front moves north heavy rain is expected to impact on river levels and roading networks,' Civil Defence said in a statement. Watch the viral video of the bridge being washed away here-<doc-sep>The storm tearing through the Westland has destroyed the Waiho River Bridge, south of the Franz Josef township. Rivers in the South Island are raging out of control as rain and heavy winds continue to batter the region. Most rivers in the region have hit alarm level, and over 300 kilometres of highway has been closed due to slips and flooding. Eleven people who were trapped by the flooding have been rescued from a track north of Lake Whatipu. It is unclear whether two hunters who were in trouble south of Fox Glacier have been rescued, according to the West Regional Council rescue coordination centre. An "atmospheric river" of pressure left over from Australia's cyclones hit the South Island on Monday, and have been causing an "exceptional" amount of rain since. The western ranges are expected to receive half a metre of rain. "For the West Coast it's going to produce exceptional amounts of rainfall in the ranges but unusually also on the coast as we've seen with Milford sound, and a significant spill-over event for eastern parts of the divide," said meteorologist Georgina Griffiths. "It's been 20 years since we've seen the rain levels that we're currently seeing at Milford sound, 430mm in the gauge already recorded there." Newshub.<doc-sep>
The Westland bridge obliterated by torrential currents during storms earlier this week won't be fixed as soon as initially promised. On Tuesday, the Waiho river bridge, south of the Franz Josef township and which is a vital transport link for the community, was destroyed as the river raged out of control during a fierce storm. Initially the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) said a seven to ten day timeframe was estimated for the bridge to be replaced and become operational again. But those in the region, as well as visiting tourists, may have to wait a while longer for the bridge to be fixed due to more wet weather being forecast. "The new timeframe of 14 to 17 days could take us through to Friday, 12 April, ahead of the school holidays and Easter," said Transport Agency System Manager Peter Connors. "Given there is more wet weather forecast for Sunday night through Monday 1 April, combined with a more refined work programme, we have revised our estimates so people have realistic timeframes in order to plan their movements and journeys around the South Island." The bridge forms part of State Highway 6 - a popular tourist route that takes visitors all the way down the West Coast through Haast and on to Wanaka and Queenstown. "We all understand what a critical link the Waiho Bridge is for the West Coast, and we are making every endeavour to shorten the timeframe if at all possible," said Connors. But Westland Mayor Bruce Smith said on Thursday that issues with the bridge had been raised long before it was destroyed. "They were saying if we get a flood that bridge is going to go and this wall that you've allowed us to put up, the gravel wall, is going to wash away. "It's been washing away and it's so frustrating, this has been going on for seven years." Connors said one positive consequence of the longer timeframe was that the new bridge would take heavy trucks, which was not originally planned. Newshub.