A digitally manipulated photograph of the badly twisted Medway Street footbridge. The photographer comments, "This bridge over the Avon River in Christchurch, New Zealand has been left in place since the first major earthquake back in September 2010. Graffiti artists or taggers are still leaving their marks on it even though it is nearly twisted at 90 degrees at one point".
An earthquake-damaged bridge, the approach to which has slumped. The photographer comments, "Due to lateral spread and the land slumping the road leading to this bridge has moved down greatly. Just imagine making the street lamps upright and how much that section of road would rise up at the end. When you go over bridges in the east side of Christchurch it is quite a climb up and a big drop down on the other side. The bridges in most cases coped very well, but not so the land leading to them".
The badly twisted Medway Street footbridge. The photographer comments, "The September 4th 2010 earthquake in Christchurch was so violent that the banks of the Avon River moved towards each other. This footbridge being metal had to twist sideways to release the pressure of being pushed from both river banks. It looked like it had been wrung out like a wet towel".
With the land dropping about 1metre to 1.4metres after the earthquakes, a few roads besides the Avon and Heathcote Rivers are flooded with very high tides. Extra stop banks (on right) erected after the quakes have helped, but the road is now well below high water level. New Brighton Road, just short of New Brighton. The Pages Road bridge may b...