Locals got the chance to speak directly to the team behind Cambridge Connections at a recent open day, and a third bridge was the hot topic of conversation.

Around 150 people came to the Cambridge-Piarere Expressway open day, held by the NZ Transport Agency, who will be building the route. It was great to see our Elected Members out and about – including councillors Mike Montgomerie and Dale-Maree Morgan (pictured).

Members of the Cambridge Connections team were there to answer technical questions and were impressed by the knowledge and passion of local residents.

We had a ‘pop up’ voting booth, reflecting the key themes from our recent community feedback. It was no surprise that the cup overflowed with votes for a third bridge – given that 58 percent of feedback responses also called for another bridge in Cambridge. Reducing congestion and freight pressure were other strong choices.

Steps to building a bridge

By the end of next year, Cambridge Connections will have identified a bridge corridor, the general area where a new bridge and connecting roads could be built in the future. It will still be another two to three years before the specific site can be confirmed, due to the large amount of technical work required to meet legislative requirements. The potential bridge is a long-term project that will span decades. The steps ahead include:

• From now to December 2026: building a business case to the NZ Transport Agency, informed by community engagement, which includes bridge options.

• December 2026: identifying a general area for a bridge corridor.

• June 2027: funding for short and medium-term steps from the Cambridge Connections Transport Plan is considered in the Waipā District Council Long-Term Plan, allowing us to seek co-funding from NZTA and begin investigations to confirm a specific bridge location.