Bridge of Remberance to be saved

On February 22nd 2011, Christchurch was devastated by an earth quake. Many of the Cities Memorials have been damaged, of left in an unsafe state. Until today the future of the Bridge of Remembrance has been unclear.
The Bridge of Remembrance which links Oxford and Cambridge Terraces over the Avon River at Cashel Street was opened on Armistice Day, 11 November 1924 by the Governor-General, Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Jellicoe, who had previously laid the foundation stone on Anzac Day, 25 April 1923. It was reopened as a pedestrian precinct on Anzac Day 1977 by Capt. C H Upham, VC and bar. The Bridge was designed by architects Prouse and Gummer, who won the architectural competition out of 24 entries.
The Bridge and its Arch of Remembrance serve as a memorial to service men and women of two World Wars and subsequent conflicts in Korea, Malaya, Borneo, and Vietnam. It replaces an earlier bridge over which many thousands of soldiers marched en route from the barracks to the railway station and embarking foroverseas service.
In the central frame of the arch is the inscription "Quid non pro patria" (What will a man not do for his country). The Bridge also features a number of unit memorials and a memorial plaque to Charles Upham VC.
In 1989, Stage 1 of the Bridge refurbishment was completed with Stage 2 commencing in September 1991. It was completed in April 1992. A commemorative plaque dedication ceremony was held on 21 June 1992.
The bridge was the first that soldiers crossed when marching from King Edward Barracks to the railway station in 1914. There have been many Regimental and unit plaques dedicated on the bridge. The last in 2009 celebrating the 150th anniversary of the 2nd Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast Battalion Group.





Press release form the Christchurch City Council.
Bridge of Remembrance will be saved
13 September 2011
Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance which was significantly damaged in the recent earthquakes will definitely be saved
Mayor Bob Parker wants to reassure the public that there is no way this community will allow the Bridge of Remembrance to be pulled down.
“This is one of the most important sites in the city and you can be rest assured we will do whatever it takes to ensure this Bridge restored. It is a sacred memorial and we're therefore committed to fixing it,” he says.
Mr Parker says the Council is currently working through a concept and design process for a permanent solution to repairing the Bridge of Remembrance, as any temporary measures could further damage the Bridge.
“We are very aware of the adverse impact on the heritage fabric of the Bridge of Remembrance that may result from any temporary reinforcing work placed on the arch.”
He says the Bridge has sustained serious damage and the cost of fixing it will be substantial.
“Given that the cost of steel bracing for any temporary solution is not insignificant and is likely to be around half a million dollars, we feel that it would be counter-productive to the overall permanent solution to put a temporary solution in place at this stage,” says Mr Parker.
“The Bridge of Remembrance has sustained serious damage and it will definitely cost big dollars to fix - we're likely to be talking millions of dollars.”
Mr Parker says the Council is in discussions with the Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) about plans for restoring the Bridge.