Kawarau Falls Bridge – Council Asked For Feedback

The Queenstown Lakes District Council will consider its position in terms of plans for a new Kawarau Falls bridge, QLDC transport manager Denis Mander said.

“The New Zealand Transport Agency has been working on a potential solution since 2003. It has now reached the point where it would like some guidance from the Council but it’s important to manage expectations. There is still no date on the radar,” Mr Mander said.

Although a replacement bridge was not in the immediate future the work being undertaken by NZTA was a positive step towards agreeing where it should go and how it should look.

“Clearly the Council has been seeking a commitment to this much needed infrastructure, particularly given the age and nature of the existing one-lane heritage bridge, which had no capacity to cope with ongoing urban growth and visitor numbers,” Mr Mander said.

NZTA, which would fund the state highway project 100%, was now at a point where it was seeking feedback from the Council to assist with the design phase.

“Through the years several options have been investigated and dispensed such as widening the existing heritage bridge and constructing a bridge that aligned with Douglas Street. I think we are now at a point where we are reaching a solution that will work for Council, NZTA and the community,” Mr Mander said.

The proposed bridge would be roughly the same height as the existing bridge and downstream of the heritage bridge.

Council will be asked to consider a recommendation from Council officers that:

• based on aesthetics, a concrete bridge is preferred over a steel bridge, acknowledging that project feasibility needs to be maintained.
• That further work be done to maximise the separation between the new and old bridges, particularly to allow for cycle and pedestrian traffic to use the heritage bridge.
• That NZTA explores opportunities for a direct connection between the state highway and Hawthorne Drive.