Hamilton’s new Peacocke bridge nearing completion
Thursday, 2 May 2024
Work on Hamilton’s newest bridge is nearing the finish line with road surfacing, street lights and markings under way.
The bridge has no piers in the river, and a single Y-shaped pillar on the south bank of the river, supporting the flat bridge deck which spans more than 200m.
Part of the work over the past few months has been focused on reinstating the construction area around the bridge.
This includes creating the city’s newest riverside park, which will be accessible to the public under the bridge via a shared pedestrian and cycling path. There will also be dedicated parking nearby.
When it’s complete, the terraced grass areas will have picnic tables and benches so people can make use of the space near the Waikato River.
Deputy mayor Anglea O’Leary said the bridge looks “just like the pictures”.
She said the council’s priority in Peacocke has been to leverage the transport investment to create multi-functional spaces for the community to use.
“As well as the beach, we’ve also included play features along the footpaths, like stepping stones and balance beams, like those seen in other areas of the city,” O’Leary said.
There are natural looking outfalls that have been sculpted from concrete and act like a series of small waterfalls to avoid erosion of the riverbank.
“Peacocke is not only our biggest infrastructure investment, but it’s also our biggest ever investment into the environment. These features will deliver on some of the environmental outcomes the council is working towards in the new neighbourhood.”
Peacocke is part of council’s commitment to plan for the long-term growth and enable the development of an attractive and sustainable community in the south-west, that is well-connected to the rest of Hamilton.
When complete, Peacocke will be home for up to 20,000 people. The area will be unlocked for development by the new Waikato River bridge, main roads, parks, water and infrastructure.
The bridge has had its setbacks with the cumulative impacts of Covid-19, material shortages and severe weather events making the initial opening target of the end of 2023 not possible.
The council’s infrastructure and assets general manager Andrew Parsons previously said that target had been aspirational, so this did not mean the project was late.