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QUEENSTOWN - Plans for a "mini Sydney Harbour-style bridge" across Queenstown Bay are to be put to the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
Former plumber Hector Boyd, 79, of Queenstown, says he plans to present them to the council before submissions on the draft Wakatipu Transportation Strategy close on June 1.
The council is calling for public input on the draft, which proposes measures to ensure Queenstown's roading and transportation networks can meet the demands of a rapidly growing population.
The district's resident population is forecast to expand from 14,148 to 31,443 by 2026 and the peak-day population from 46,354 to 86,781.
Mr Boyd proposes the council address the resulting traffic problems by building a causeway and bridge that spans the gap between the Queenstown Gardens and the One Mile roundabout at the end of Lake Esplanade and the bottom of Fernhill Rd.
He says the bridge would be high enough to allow the steamer TSS Earnslaw to pass safely through a gate underneath, and the causeway and gate would help protect shops and moored boats from flooding and storm damage.
The bridge would divert traffic away from the already congested central business district, linking to two other proposals of Mr Boyd - a high-speed 100km/h "shoreline highway" between Queenstown and Frankton, on the edge of Lake Wakatipu and below the existing Frankton Rd (SH6A); and a marina along the shore of the Queenstown Gardens, inside the causeway.
"I think, rather than a pipe dream, it's a vision," Mr Boyd said.
The projects, which also include an upgrade for the Kawarau Falls bridge on SH6, could be built in stages over 20 years.
Mr Boyd said none of the work had been costed.
The council's draft strategy includes plans for an enhanced, high-frequency passenger transport network with bus priority measures on Frankton Rd and a ferry service between Kelvin Heights and the CBD, among other proposals.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
