The Victoria Bridge in Cambridge, built in 1907, will continue to be monitored as the council looks at a business case for a third river bridge for the town. Photo / Supplied.
The Victoria Bridge in Cambridge, built in 1907, will continue to be monitored as the council looks at a business case for a third river bridge for the town. Photo / Supplied.
Waipa District Council will progress a third bridge business case next year, despite the outcome of a regional transportation model indicating Cambridge's two bridges will cope with projected traffic capacity in the longer term.
The results of the Waikato Regional Transportation Model were discussed at a council Strategic Planning and Policy Committee workshop. The council's Transport Strategy is currently under review.
The workshop and modelling results showed good traffic flow even at peak times for most routes in both Cambridge and Te Awamutu up to 2051.
Modelling the network as of 2051 indicates most of the network shows a level of service as level A, or green, which is good. Some of the main routes show a slightly lower level of service. The worst level of service is shown around the Hautapu Interchange, which is a level of service E to F at peak times.
It is common to use an A to F system of assessing traffic flow – or 'levels of service' - for the roading network, with A being no delays, and F being a complete standstill. The model indicated that during peak traffic periods, between 4pm and 6pm on weekdays, the worst rating received in the Cambridge CBD was C or D for 2051 population projections.
Modelling did not highlight a need for additional capacity for bridges over the Waikato River in Cambridge. Photo / Michael Jeans
However, it was acknowledged that at some locations and intersections, where peaks in travel were more pronounced, longer delays would occur.
Further afield in Te Awamutu, most traffic routes were green, or level A, with some streets experiencing a higher level of congestion in 2051 than currently being experienced.
The heaviest traffic flows and some delays would continue to occur around the intersections with State Highway 3.
Councillors had a robust discussion about the validity of the modelling due to outdated population projections used from 2013. Council staff advised that all modelling has a margin of error and this was taken into account as well as the latest housing and employment projections in the two towns being used in the model.
Principal Policy Advisor David Totman said the latest information indicated population growth was already starting to slow down, as would be expected while New Zealand's international border remained closed.
"We run population projections every three to five years after census data is available, and we're expecting the next projections in 2023. We know we're currently facing the pressures of growth but it is expected to slow due to the lack of international migration," Totman said.
"The projections we have are the best estimate we have from the demographers who regularly do this work."
The model also showed that Cambridge's two bridges, Victoria Bridge and Fergusson Bridge, which cross the Waikato River, would cope with the projected traffic flows to 2051 and did not highlight a need for additional capacity.
Despite this, staff conclusions based on the modelling have indicated that a new bridge would be needed in the longer term, even if this was driven by the need to retire the historic Victoria bridge from vehicle traffic use, and that council would start on a business case in 2022-23 for this purpose.
Council has included provision for a third bridge in its 2021-51 Infrastructure Strategy. Provision for a third bridge was also included in the Council's previous Infrastructure Strategy.
Three key pieces of work would be needed to inform the business case; being council's Transport Strategy, the Hamilton-Waikato Metro Spatial Plan business case recommendations, and the Waipā Community Spatial Plan, due to be completed in 2022.
In the meantime, council will continue to monitor the historic Victoria Bridge, built-in 1907, and undertake improvements and maintenance, with a major repaint planned for 2022-23.
