The Clifden Suspension Bridge is an historic suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...

 near Clifden, New Zealand

Clifden, New Zealand

The hamlet of Clifden, New Zealand is a small rural community on the Waiau River, Southland, New Zealand. It is notable for being the site of the Clifden Suspension Bridge and the Clifden Limestone Caves, well-known since early European settlers made it a "must see" place to visit.-Clifden war...

. Built in 1899, it spans the Waiau River

Waiau River, Southland

Waiau River is the largest river in the Southland Region of New Zealand. It is the outflow of Lake Te Anau, flowing from it into Lake Manapouri 10 kilometres to the south, and from there flows south for 70 kilometres before reaching the Foveaux Strait eight kilometres south of Tuatapere...

 and is 111.5 m long.

The bridge has been accessible to pedestrians only since 1978. In April 2010 the bridge was closed to pedestrian traffic due to safety concerns outlined in a report commissioned by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust

New Zealand Historic Places Trust

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...

, the organisation that cares for the bridge. The safety issues were identified after a routine inspection of the bridge after an earthquake the previous year.

The bridge, constructed of twenty-seven steel cables attached to concrete pillars (clad to resemble stone pillars), still has its historic wooden decking. It is listed as a Category I Historic Place by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust

New Zealand Historic Places Trust

The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...

.