The bridge replacement is a $42 million component of the overall $92m SH29 Tauriko West Road of National Significance (RoNS) project.

The contract to deliver the first phase, which includes replacement of the narrow bridge, has been awarded to HEB Construction.

“Since endorsing the SH29 Tauriko West investment case in April, and a phased delivery approach, I’m pleased to see NZTA is continuing to work hard on this important project to improve safety, resilience, and freight efficiency along SH29, a critical corridor within the Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga triangle,” says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.

“These improvements are part of the now $7 billion of already confirmed Government-funded projects around New Zealand expected to begin construction before Christmas, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to deliver a strong pipeline of projects to support jobs and growth.”

Site work has started with construction beginning in October. The use of a standardised ‘off the shelf’ bridge design will improve delivery timeframes.

The work includes realigning SH29 with the new bridge and making minor improvements to the SH29/Ōmanawa Road intersection. The design will also accommodate a 1-in-100-year flood, enable future overweight freight loads getting to and from the Port of Tauranga, and be placed on an alignment that fits the future design of Tauriko West.

“NZTA is also in the process of awarding a contract to support phase two of the project. This includes completing route protection and consenting for a new four-lane SH29 from Redwood Interchange to Takitimu North Link interchange and upgrades to SH29A from Takitimu Drive Toll Road to Barkes Corner,” says Mr Bishop.

“Identifying the land needed and gaining consents for future phases will give landowners and the community certainty of the route and protects it from being built out in upcoming development of the area. It also ensures NZTA is ready and able to move forward when further funding for design and construction is available.

Another recent bridge building announcement signals work on the long-awaited second Ashburton Bridge in Mid-Canterbury being likely to begin next year.

An agreement between NZTA and Fletchers Construction to progress the detailed bridge design, was recently announced by Minister for the South Island and Associate Transport Minister James Meager.

“This is real progress towards the National Party’s campaign promise to start construction of the bridge in our first term,” Mr Meager says.

“A second crossing has been a long-time coming, with around 24,000 vehicles using the current bridge daily. This is a key route for ensuring our people and goods can get up and down the South Island and needs to be future proofed.

“The new bridge will be a vital connection for Tinwald to Ashburton, relieving congestion on State Highway 1, and improving network resilience south to Otago in the case of emergency events like flooding.

“Geotechnical investigations in and around Ashburton River have been completed and borehole samples are being analysed to better understand the ground conditions for the new bridge,” Mr Meager says.

“The project team is progressing property purchases, statutory approvals, and procurement. Fletchers Construction, together with its main design consultant AECOM, will refine the design, explore better construction methods, make the most of local opportunities, and address any potential challenges.”

Mr Meager says a Design and Construction contract is expected to be signed at the end of this year.