This panorama was taken from a viewpoint high above the Otira Viaduct near the top of the Otira Gorge. This is a dramatic viaduct and impressive to drive across. You can see the viaduct and the original road in the satellite view of the Google map. Image taken January 2008.

Otira Viaduct - Otira Gorge visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Otira Viaduct' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from West Coast.

The Otira Viaduct is one of the most ambitious recent engineering projects in New Zealand. It joins the roads from Arthur's Pass in Canterbury to Otira on the West Coast, forming one of 3 routes over the Southern Alps.

Construction on the Otira Viaduct began in 1997. It is 440m long and gracefully curved to fit in with the surroundings. Great care was taken to minimize damage to the surrounding area, part of a National Park. The region is prone to earthquakes and the viaduct is built to standards 40% more stringent than those usually used for the region.

Road: Otira, at the base of Otira Gorge, is about 15km north of Arthur's Pass and 20km from Jacksons.