The mangled ruins of South Westland's Waiho Bridge have been left strewn across a bed of stones after the savage storm two weeks ago.
The bridge connected Fox Glacier to Franz Josef, and without it locals and businesses have been struggling.
But there is hope in sight. Contractors and even the army have chipped in to launch a new bridge.
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The design is called a Bailey bridge - a portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge originally developed for military use.
"We're all trained in Bailey bridges, however this is the largest Bailey bridge we've been involved in since the Second World War," one soldier told Newshub.
First the remains of the old bridge need to be taken apart carefully.
"There's a lot of work required in getting it out in manageable sections and cutting it into bits," says Downer South Island general manager Scott Ford.
New piles have been driven in on the north side. After this the bridge needs to be jacked, rocking rollers removed, new permanent bearings installed, and the whole structure safely fastened in place.
But there's a race against time to get the new bridge reopened on Friday in time for the school holidays.
Ford says recent efforts to clear the bridge have been hampered by rain which increases the river flow.
"There's some more weather coming in Tuesday night and Wednesday," he says. "[We're] trying to race against to ensure it doesn't slow us down."
Newshub.
