Next step for ‘lifeline’ New Brighton bridge
The Pages Rd bridge project met another milestone yesterday, as the views of 31 Christchurch residents and organisations were heard in person.
The Christchurch City Council wants to replace the ailing Pages Rd bridge with one that can withstand a natural disaster and emergency evacuation.
It comes about two weeks after city councillors told the regional transport committee there is a 26% risk of a magnitude 8 or higher earthquake in the next 50 years which would trigger a tsunami that would hit New Brighton.
It makes the $65 million project, dubbed Gateway to New Brighton, a “lifeline” for the thousands of New Brighton residents who only have one way in or out of the suburb, according to city councillor Celeste Donovan and others.
Donovan, who was one of three elected members on the hearings panel yesterday, said the council and public were united in wanting a new bridge, but work could not begin without full consultation.
She said public feedback would shape the design of the project, which includes various intersection and lane options.
She said the council was committed to pushing ahead, regardless of central government funding.
A staff report, published ahead of yesterday’s hearing, said if the council did nothing about the bridge it risked the safety of thousands of residents.
The current bridge would continue to deteriorate, continue to have flooding issues and the community’s fears around emergency evacuation would not be resolved.
There is an option to do some work on the existing bridge and extend its life by another 10 years (which council voted to do back in 2015), which would provide shortterm capital savings, but it would risk the bridge failing during an emergency.
The bridge, which was damaged during the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, only meets 15%-20% of the new building standards, so may collapse during an earthquake.
Some 261 individuals and organisations gave feedback on the project and draft design during public consultation in 2023. A staff summary found most people supported all proposed changes.
Donovan said it may take a few months for the final project to be ready for a council vote, but it was being treated as a priority. Construction could begin in 2026 and end in 2028, the staff report said.