New river bridge opening pushed back till mid-2024

Saturday, 7 October 2023

A shot of the under construction bridge looking south towards the new Peacocke residential area, due to be home to thousands of people.

Hamiltonians won’t be getting a new bridge for Christmas, as a myriad of weather and other issues push completion of the city’s biggest infrastructure project connecting thousands of new homes out by at least six months

Residents will have to wait a little longer than hoped before they can drive, cycle or walk across the new Waikato River bridge linking the city to the big new Peacocke development area on the southern bank.

Earlier this year it was hoped the bridge - near Hamilton Gardens - could be open by Christmas.

However, the target for completion of the bridge and related work has now been been pushed back till mid-2024.

Still, for now, the “large and complex” overall project’s $160.2 million budget remains unchanged, although city council officials say cost pressures remain.

Tahl Lawrence (left), city council project engineer for Peacocke transport projects, and infrastructure and assets general manager Andrew Parsons on the pedestrian bridge on the northern side, overlooking the new river traffic bridge site.

Infrastructure and assets general manager Andrew Parsons said at the bridge works site on Thursday that the late 2023 target had been aspirational.

The cumulative impacts of Covid-19, material shortages and severe weather events had made achieving that target “impossible”. Cyclone Gabrielle’s impact on a key East Coast supplier was an example of the problems.

But Parsons was at pains to stress: “We are not late.”

The arrangements for the city’s $180 million interest free loan from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund for its share of the overall project allowed for the bridge and related works to be completed within the longer timeframe, he said.

“The whole team’s done pretty well given the scale of events and issues that have cropped up.”

In June last year, it was revealed the cost of the bridge, and related roading and three waters infrastructure, had risen $20.2 million to $160.2 million. A cost for the traffic bridge element alone wasn’t available, a spokesperson said.

On whether that $160.2 million figure could climb again, Parsons said: “Projects like this are always facing those kinds of pressures. It’s too early to make much further comment.”

The council’s project engineer for Peacocke transport projects Tahl Lawrence said cost pressure was always there.

“Everything out there over the last few years is under massive pressure.”

But Parsons - who’s been with the project from the start - said the council was working hard with contractors to contain costs - weather over summer would be a key on making good progress.

“As long as we have reasonable weather over the upcoming 2023/24 summer construction period, the new bridge, transport and three waters networks are due to be completed by mid-2024.”

Work with contractors on cost containment included addressing inflation, supply chain issues and price increases for key supplies like diesel.

“We’re closely monitoring and reporting on project costs through the finance and monitoring committee.”

The left hand side of the bridge looking south towards the new Peacocke development area.

Actual opening dates for the bridge and new roads would be confirmed early next year as the final stages of construction are progressed, he said.

On the material shortages which have added to the time being taken, Parsons said: “All parts of the construction sector have experienced supply chain issues.”

One bonus had been how contractor HEB Construction had been able to procure project steel in one go for $5 miilion.

Parsons said roading elements of projects such as this were usually funded 51% by transport agency Waka Kotahi and 49% by the council, which has accessed a 10-year interest free loan from the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Three waters costs then pushed up the council’s overall share of the spending, Parsons said.

Next steps including installing bridge balustrades on each side and the first section of an upgraded Peacockes Rd is due to open to traffic soon.

An attractive feature of the road and pedestrian bridges are designs by Rotorua artist Eugene Kara on steel which has gained a brownish patina.

“It’s very earthy,” said Lawrence of the colour of the 25-metre tall taurapa (waka stern posts) and other steel on the bridges.

A good closer view of one of the pedestrian and cycle paths on the side.

“It looks very natural.”

There’s no formal date for the opening of the pedestrian bridge yet.

One of the decorated steel taurapa structures on the pedestrian bridge on the northern side of the river.

“At the moment it opens with the main bridge,” said Parsons, although an earlier opening was being explored.

Standing on the pedestrian bridge gives a very clear view of how the traffic bridge, with pedestrian and cycle paths on its sides, fits into the landscape. One path is 4.5 metres wide, the other three metres.

Parsons notes the traffic bridge looks “deceptively short” but is in fact 180 metres.

Asked how keen he was to see the first cars on the bridge, Parsons said “I hope it’s the first bike” adding he was “pretty keen for it to go into service, that’s for sure”.