The Upper Hutt City Council is reaching out to those residents affected by the partial collapses of a road bridge.

Heavy rain on Thursday caused the Bridge Road Bridge to buckle – cutting off 200 residents.

Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy said four-wheel drives and a hotline are available for those residents who need urgent help.

He said it’s a very stressful time for people, but it’s the job of the council to “make sure [people] can work through any fears and issues they have.”

Guppy said designers are already working on plans for the new bridge, but warns it might be a while yet.

“The engineers said it’s probably between five and six months to replace the bridge.”

It won’t come cheap either - Guppy said as a rough estimate “you’re talking millions of dollars”.

The Council hotline is 04 527 2169.