“In recent weeks there has been good progress in relocating the sewer, water, electricity and telecommunications services to the temporary structures which traffic are now expected to be driving over by mid January,” says the Council’s Transport and Greenspace Manager Alan Beuzenberg.
“The design for the bridge has been completed and the project is now being priced.”
He says there had been delays in finalising the bridge design with geotech investigations showing the underlying rock, onto which the bridge will be founded to meet earthquake design requirements, is variable.
“This has required significant additional design to ensure the structure will meet the new design requirements; the foundation piles needing to be large and founded deep into the rock layers.
“This has resulted in it taking much longer than expected to finalise a design and it is likely to have an impact on the cost.”
Work on the bridge is expected to begin early February next year and take three years to complete, Mr Beuzenberg says.
