The Peacocke bridge development celebrated a milestone last week with the final girder segment now in place. Photo / Supplied
The Peacocke bridge development celebrated a milestone last week with the final girder segment now in place. Photo / Supplied
Hamilton's new bridge over the Waikato River to the new southern suburb Peacocke celebrates another achievement as the final form of the bridge has been revealed.
The bridge now spans the river with the last girder segment lifted into place last week with the help of New Zealand's second-largest crawler crane.
Hamilton City Council strategic infrastructure executive director Andrew Parsons says the girder lift was a "milestone moment".
"The bridge doesn't have a proper deck, handrails or lighting yet but the final form of the bridge is now complete. It's stunning and there's nothing like it in Hamilton," he says.
The bridge beams will be visible under the bridge deck and are made from the same type of weathering steel used for the central V-shaped pier.
At the bridge's northern end across the new Wairere Drive extension, the crawler crane will now lift a pedestrian bridge into place. The footbridge was fabricated locally by PFS Engineering in Riverlea.
Parsons says the bridge is not only a significant transport connection for the new community in Peacocke, but it will enable essential services: inside the bridge's girders are pipes for water, wastewater and cables for electricity and internet.
"The bridge represents our biggest investment in environment and ecological outcomes," he says.
"If you look at the bridge - with no central pier in the river - there are large areas underneath where bats can fly. These design elements contribute to the environmental outcomes from our investment."
The new Peacocke bridge now spans across the Waikato River. Photo / Supplied
To get the best view of activity at the bridge site, people are encouraged to access the shared path between Hamilton Gardens and Howell Ave off Cobham Drive.
The $160.2 million contract for the bridge was signed two years ago with work starting in October 2020. It's the largest capital contract Hamilton City Council has awarded and also includes the building of new roads in Peacocke.
Peacocke, one of Hamilton's new suburbs, is south of Glenview, Fitzroy and Riverlea and is being built with support from the Government's Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The fund's contribution comprises a $180.3 million 10-year interest-free loan and $110.1 million of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency subsidies.
Hamilton City Council's Peacocke programme includes a new bridge, a transport network that caters for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, parks, and strategic water, wastewater and stormwater networks.
Other work includes protecting and enhancing the environment, including the extensive gully system, opening the area to the Waikato River, and investigating community facilities.
Once completed, Peacocke will be home to up to 20,000 Hamiltonians.
