Mangaweka Bridge Options Shortlisted

Investigation into options for the replacement of the Mangaweka Bridge continues with the initial business case being created following input from the community and stakeholders.

Since it was discovered that the bridge has significant deterioration the Manawatu and Rangitikei District Councils together have held a public meeting to hear what the community needed and how the bridge is important as part of the business and social life of the area.

“These meetings have provided the essential local knowledge and context for the bridge, and we thank you for your time and enthusiasm” says Tim Eldridge from GHD consulting engineers.

Building on the public meeting, two workshops have been held with stakeholders from the community, businesses and the Councils. The workshops looked at all the possible options from retaining the existing bridge, strengthening it, building a new one beside the existing one through to a new bridge in a different location.

From these workshops seven options were long listed and then refined to create a shortlist of three options that could see a new bridge built adjacent to the existing one with the road realigned to provide better access for larger vehicles.

These options will now go forward into a business case that will look at the costs, benefits and challenges for each option before a single preferred option is selected and put forward for funding from New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

Manawatu District Council project lead Jim Mestyanek is pleased with the progress and appreciates the assistance from the community and businesses to get these options established. This is a complicated process and work is progressing as quickly as possible.

“Getting this part of the process right means that when we seek funding we know that the facts and figures support the request, that what we are asking for is what is needed, and we can demonstrate that to the NZTA.”

For more information contact:

Manawatu District Council Communications Adviser Paul Stein on 027 702 7398 or paul.stein@mdc.govt.nz