Work on Brougham St bridge to start late 2024

Wednesday, 20 December 2023

The “skeleton concept” of the proposed bridge over Brougham St may not bear much resemblance to the final design.

A bridge over Brougham St looks set to be the first tangible outcome of a $90 million upgrade underway to one of Christchurch’s busiest roads.

The pedestrian and cycle bridge will connect Collins St and Simeon St, which will both become cul-de-sacs.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s said construction would “move ahead” from September next year, after it “became clear” it would be ready to build the bridge earlier than the rest of the project.

Brougham St is often plagued by congestion, with commuters, trucks, buses, pedestrians and cyclists competing to get along the stretch of road.

The second stage will add T2 lanes for car pooling, buses and motorcycles to create a six-lane format, intersection improvements and a shared pedestrian-cycle path.

NZTA also reported on feedback after it shared a video “walk through” of the work, though it said the model was “purely a skeleton concept” that didn’t reflect the bridge’s final design or building materials.

Brougham St is one of the city’s busiest roads, used by an average of 45,000 vehicles each day.

Feedback ranged from issues of safety and accessibility to lighting and aesthetics, with respondents suggesting a less carbon intensive design, the addition of “fun” elements such as binoculars or a place to spot trucks, and having spaces for kiosks..

Another suggestion - regarded by NZTA as “aspirational” - was to deliver the project “on time and to budget”.

Detailed designs for the bridge were meant to have been made public by Christmas, but a spokesperson this week said work was “ongoing”, with more information likely at the end of next month.

From 2013 to 2023, Brougham St has been the scene of hundreds of crashes between the Barrington overbridge and the Opawa Road intersection. Among the 470 crashes, four people were killed.

Addington School community liaison Jo Robertson said the school had been keen for a safe crossing “for ages.”

The pedestrian crossing near the school has been the site of numerous crashes and “plenty of near misses”, Robertson said.

“You get stuck in the middle of the [traffic] island with kids going to school, cyclists going to work and everyone kind of crammed up on a very busy main road.”

An earlier mock-up of the Brougham St pedestrian overbridge as part of the $90m upgrade.

Originally a $40m project, the cost to ease congestion on Brougham St quickly blew out to $90m.

Initially managed by the city council, the upgrade is now part of the previous government’s New Zealand Upgrade Programme.

Brougham St is used by an average of 45,000 vehicles each day, including 4500 freight vehicles and trucks.

It is also a key connection - and pinch point - for Christchurch’s Southern Motorway.

A Christchurch City Council submission last year on the NZTA project warned of a “detrimental impact” on surrounding residential neighbourhoods through increased noise and emissions.

From 2013 to 2023 there were 470 crashes on Brougham St from the motorway to the Shakespeare St/Opawa Rd intersection. Four people were killed.