Key design principles for a bridge crossing the Waikato River and connecting to the developing Peacocke neighbourhood were outlined to Hamilton Mayor Andrew King and Councillors at an open briefing today.

During the briefing, Hamilton City Council staff presented a video showing one example of how the principles could be applied, noting the imagery was conceptual only as detailed design work and consultation with stakeholders will continue for several months.

Earlier this year the Council approved the basic structural design of the bridge; a single Y-shaped pillar on the south bank of the river, supporting a flat deck bridge spanning more than 200 metres. When complete, the bridge will be the longest, and one of the highest, in the city.

The next stage of the bridge development is to confirm the design principles, which will be considered at the Council’s Growth and Infrastructure Committee on 18 June 2019.

The proposed principles are:
• Experience; providing opportunities for the bridge to add to the experience of Hamilton, with opportunities for places to pause, lookout areas and catering for all transport modes.
•
• Flexibility; ensuring lane layout can be adjusted to respond to usage requirements or future changes in the types of vehicles used.
•
• Kaitiaki; guardianship and protection for cultural and environmental considerations, including managing stormwater runoff to the river, recognising and celebrating the cultural history of the area and ensuring design and construction of the bridge considers plants, animal and aquatic life, particularly the long-tailed bat.
•
• Connection; ensuring the design caters for current and projected connections for all types of transport, including public transport, private vehicles, bikes and pedestrians and potential river path and recreational connections.
•
• Memorable; a design which is distinctive and provides a visual identification for the city as a river gateway and gateway to the Peacocke growth area.
•
The design work to date has broad support from stakeholders including iwi through the Tangata Whenua Working Group and, subject to approval, the project will move to a detailed design phase before a tender process and construction award inside 18 months. The bridge is planned to be open in 2023.

The bridge is a key strategic link as the Council enables development in the Peacocke area, in the city’s south, and is part of the infrastructure funded through the city’s 10-Year Plan last year.

Supporting the Council to enable a new neighbourhood in Peacocke is $290.4 million from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund, made up of a $180.3M 10-year interest-free loan and $110.1M of NZ Transport Agency subsidies. When completed, Peacocke is expected to be home for around 20,000 new Hamiltonians.

Watch the concept video here

© Scoop Media