The M6.3, 18 June 1994 Arthur's Pass earthquake was notable for the strength of shaking recorded at Arthur's Pass Township and for the little damage it caused to bridges and houses. Bridges, the only major man-made structures in the epicentral region except the rail tunnel, survived with only superficial damage, probably because of their dense foundation soils. An accelerogram recorded at the Pass township exceeds the current design motions by about 40 percent in the 0 to 0.5 second band.