The Manganui Gorge Suspension Bridge is a 100-meter-long footbridge located on the Manganui Gorge Track near Mount Taranaki in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Though designed in a "swing bridge" style, it offers a stable walking experience.
The bridge provides breathtaking views of Mount Taranaki and the Taranaki plains. It features a 93-meter clear span, is 1.2 meters wide, and is situated near the existing ski field. Its primary purpose is to connect the “Around the Mountain” scenic walk while bypassing a potentially hazardous access route through the rocky gorge, which will be closed upon the bridge's completion.
The Manganui Gorge Suspension Bridge is part of the larger Taranaki Crossing project, which aims to enhance 25 kilometers of tracks, offering both short walks and longer hikes. This project will also minimize visitor impact on the maunga environment. The project has received ongoing support from Kānoa, the Regional Economic & Investment Unit. Gareth Hopkins, Operations Manager, highlighted the bridge as a key feature of the Taranaki Crossing network, which will extend from Dawson Falls to Mangorei Road. The bridge, designed by DC Structures Studio, is noted for its elegant yet strong design, subtly integrated into the Manganui Gorge landscape.
The bridge is supported by two inclined steel masts—16 meters high at the northern end and 25 meters high at the southern end. These masts, coated with a zinc-sprayed finish, are tilted 9 degrees toward the gorge and rest on reinforced concrete pads cast directly onto exposed rock.
The superstructure is suspended from the masts by high-strength Fatzer™ spiral strand cables, which are coated with a 95% zinc and 5% aluminum blend for enhanced durability. The bridge's design includes two parallel flange channel (PFC) stringers spanning across equal angle (EA) cross beams at 1500mm intervals. The cross beams are supported by EA hangers spaced every 3 meters and attached to the cables with clamps. This configuration, requested by Ngati Ruanui for its robustness, enhances the deck's rigidity.
The bridge features a 1.2-meter-high EA balustrade post at 3-meter intervals alternating with the hangers. The decking consists of a 50mm thick Treadwell™ fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) mini-mesh system with anti-slip coatings.
Parabolic wind cables connected to cross beams via transverse wind-stays stabilize the superstructure laterally and add vertical stiffness. Equal angle plan bracing arranged in a Pratt truss configuration spans between the wind stay fixing points, directing load to the south bankseat and supporting regions not covered by wind-stays.
The balustrade includes a galvanized tubular handrail running between hangers and posts, set 1.2 meters above the deck. Stainless steel wire rope runs horizontally between hangers at 90mm vertical increments for added safety.
