$29m bridge lifting off | Northland News | Local News in Northland

Whangarei District Council is next week expected to give a green light to the largest single contract to be let in the district: A $29.16 million deal for a new bridge across the lower Hatea River.

The 265m-long bridge between Port Rd and Pohe Island will have a central lifting section allowing yachts to access the Whangarei Town Basin.

The drawbridge's 240-tonne central section has a distinctive shape resembling a waka prow or Maori fish-hook.

It was developed by a British bridge designer working with a Whangarei group including designers and local iwi.

The project will be funded 50-50 by the council and the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). Construction could begin next month with completion scheduled for June 2013.

While NZTA roading subsidies for state highways can run up to 62 per cent, Deputy Mayor Phil Halse said the council had achieved a good rate as the project included roading, three roundabouts and a 3m-wide cycleway and footpaths on either side of the two-lane bridge road.

The bridge meets NZTA funding criteria, but the associated work is internal city infrastructure, which is generally funded by ratepayers.

The construction contract will be awarded to a Transfield/McConnell Dowell joint venture which produced a cost estimate below an independent estimate the council had done by Bond Construction Management to ensure it would be getting reasonable market value.

The proposed form of contract will use a "cost reimbursable method" aimed at ensuring contractors keep prices down.

The contractors and council will share savings or cost gains on a 50-50 basis.

The local value of the target cost is 45 per cent of the project value, meeting a council objective to ensure involvement to stimulate the local economy.

Key local components include Northern Civil design of roading, concrete and precast elements, Electrix and Northpower electrical work, and miscellaneous work.

Details of the new bridge were announced at a council media conference yesterday by CEO Mark Simpson and infrastructure and services group manager Simon Weston, with both of the engineers excited by the prospect of a big new building project.

Mr Simpson said the centre of the bridge, expected to start carrying 8000 vehicles daily, would not be lifted for boats during peak traffic times in the morning and afternoon.

A council staff member would operate the rolling bascule, (moveable section of road) from a control room on the bridge which boaties could call on cellphones.

But once bridge use had settled down after a couple of years the lift mechanism could be controlled from a council site elsewhere using CCTV to monitor the bridge.

Minor changes have been made to parts of the original concept plan for the bridge and Pohe Island development as a sports ground and city park - Whangarei's "Cornwall Park", according to Mr Simpson.

One of these changes is the removal of a pedestrian underpass which had been planned on Pohe Island.

It was taken out because of social issues, including crime prevention. "We don't want dark places where people can hide," Mr Simpson said.

The bridge is on the council agenda for October 26 with a recommendation for Mr Simpson to be given authority to award the construction contract to the Transfield/McConnell Dowell joint venture.