- Hon James Meager
The long-awaited second Ashburton Bridge is a step closer with the signing of a key agreement, Minister for the South Island and Associate Transport Minister James Meager has announced.
"The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has signed a contract with Fletchers Construction to progress the detailed bridge design, so that construction can kick off next year," Mr Meager says.
"This is real progress towards the National Party's campaign promise to start construction of the bridge in our first term.
"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."
Crown delivery funding was secured for the project in December last year, with NZTA approving the business case and signing a partner delivery agreement with Ashburton District Council in April.
"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.
"A Design and Construction contract is expected to be signed at the end of the year. I look forward to announcing next steps once negotiations have concluded."
