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4 Thursday <strong>July</strong> <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>23<br />
Bridge design a big step in right direction<br />
Coastal Side<br />
Celeste Donovan<br />
Coastal Ward city<br />
councillor Celeste<br />
Donovan writes about<br />
developments with the<br />
Pages Rd bridge<br />
COASTAL residents will get a<br />
first look at the new Pages Rd<br />
bridge project by the end of the<br />
month.<br />
The long-awaited bridge was<br />
born in the city council’s capital<br />
works programme and money<br />
put aside in <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong>/21 Annual<br />
Plan, but delayed nearly two<br />
years by the complexity of the<br />
over-all project.<br />
The 90-year-old bridge suffered<br />
damage in the February<br />
22, <strong>20</strong>11 earthquake and there<br />
has long been an expectation it<br />
had to be replaced rather than<br />
repaired.<br />
This project is not just about<br />
the bridge but the roles contributing<br />
streets are likely to play<br />
in the future of New Brighton,<br />
including allowing for increased<br />
traffic flow in and out and for<br />
special events, as well as mass<br />
evacuations resulting from a<br />
tsunami warning.<br />
One of my main tasks since<br />
taking up the Coastal Ward<br />
city councillor role has been to<br />
get this back on track and give<br />
people certainty around dates<br />
and progress. There have been<br />
a lot of variables for planners to<br />
consider and the project is bigger<br />
than originally thought, but<br />
ultimately it will be an enormous<br />
boost to New Brighton and cater<br />
for the increasing population in<br />
the central area. This plan will<br />
include the entry to the massive<br />
and exciting Ōtākaro Avon<br />
River corridor, likely to bring<br />
world class attention not only<br />
to Christchurch but also New<br />
Brighton.<br />
With the start of the project<br />
scheduled for <strong>20</strong>26, significant<br />
upgrades will be made to main<br />
streets as well as landscaping<br />
and flood mitigation protection,<br />
including improvements for<br />
walkers and cyclists. We will also<br />
be looking to put out expressions<br />
of interest for a special sculptural<br />
design welcoming people to<br />
New Brighton. The draft plan<br />
drawings of all the road modifications<br />
leading to the bridge<br />
will be released at the end of this<br />
month, and I urge people to take<br />
advantage of extensive feedback<br />
and submission opportunities.<br />
I will release more details about<br />
this later.<br />
As the city councillors will be<br />
making the final decision rather<br />
than the Coastal Community<br />
Board once public submissions<br />
have closed, the final revised and<br />
updated plan is likely to go to<br />
our council hearings panel. From<br />
the end of <strong>July</strong>, the designs will<br />
be available for public feedback<br />
and CCC staff will be available<br />
in person to discuss the plans.<br />
After seeing the design, I<br />
believe it is a big step in the right<br />
direction but no doubt there will<br />
be some refinement once people<br />
have their say.<br />
• Please get in touch if<br />
you have any questions at<br />
celeste.donovan@ccc.govt.<br />
nz<br />
CONCEPT: The new Pages<br />
Rd bridge design will be<br />
made public by the end of<br />
<strong>July</strong>. PHOTOS: GEOFF SLOAN<br />
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