New bridge for Albert Town ‘possible’

The cost of replacing single-lane bridges at Albert Town, the Gates of Haast (both State Highway 6) and Luggate (SH8a) cannot be calculated until detailed investigations and designs have been completed, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi confirmed this week.

However, while replacing Albert Town’s bridge over the Clutha River is ranked as "possible" in NZTA’s 10-year state highway plan, bridge replacements at the Gates of Haast and Luggate are not a priority and are not in the 10-year plan.

• Call to fast-track new bridge

Replacing the Albert Town Bridge within the next three years is unlikely.

That depends on whether government transport funding becomes available to investigate a replacement at Albert Town, which is also "unlikely", according to NZTA Southland and Otago system manager Robert Choveaux. 

Asked by the Wānaka Sun why the three bridges were not of high enough significance to justify bringing budgets forward to replace them, Mr Choveaux confirmed the Albert Town Bridge had been identified as a "bridge of significance" in a resilience programme for the Haast to Hawea corridor and had been included in NZTA’s state highway investment proposal for business case and planning work.

Based on projected growth numbers out of Hāwea, NZTA is looking to make a case for building a new bridge rather than improving the existing structure, he said.

"While the National Land Transport Plan 2024-27 (NLTP) has prioritised the Albert Town Bridge as a ‘possible’, it is unlikely we can progress the business case and planning work unless funding becomes available. This means we may need to look for other opportunities to progress the planning work or re-submit for the 2027-30 NLTP," Mr Choveaux said.

Asked if the Albert Town Bridge’s capacity already was overstretched, Mr Choveaux said there were "no current safety concerns" and "the traffic lights adequately control the flow of traffic both from a safety and congestion perspective".

He could not provide specific examples of what NZTA could do at Albert Town because that would depend on the business case and planning work, which has not been done.

"Regarding the other bridges, these are subject to a national prioritisation process for bridge replacements — i.e., the most urgent replacements are prioritised in this NLTP. [They] are not currently prioritised for replacement," he said.

The NZTA has also received a submission from the Albert Town Community Association (ATCA).

In a letter to ATCA, Mr Choveaux said a lot of thought and work had gone into it and NZTA agreed with several matters ATCA raised.

He confirmed NZTA would look to make a case for "improving and building a new bridge rather than improving the existing structure". 

ATCA was a key stakeholder and would be consulted during the business case, he said.

There are more than 1000 bridges in Otago and Southland, many built before 1970. NZTA plans to replace 17 bridges and culverts in Otago and Southland over the next three years.