Anyone driving north along Molesworth Street and crossing Simes Bridge this week may have been held up by machinery working to clear a large mass of noticeable debris on the right side of Wilsons River.

Simes Bridge, where Molesworth Street meets Winterton Parade, three (3) stop/slow signs held up traffic as a large excavator with a claw, deftly used the flotsam itself to help clear the mass of debris.

The floating raft was made up of branches and trees predominantly; however, other pieces of garbage were littered through the mass.

The excavator operator was very good at “pinching” pieces of lumber and using it to sweep the river.

He managed to generate some pretty good wash to help the flow of the current by swiftly manipulating the claw.

The claw could reach right under the bridge to get things moving. 

On the other side of Simes Bridge, you could see the branches and trees making their way down stream once more.