East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick and Whakatāne Mayor Nandor Tanczos are both delighted with Transport Minister Chris Bishop's announcement that the Pekatahi Bridge will be replaced with a new two-lane bridge. Photo: Supplied via LDR
Whakatāne Mayor Nandor Tanczos says the government's plan to replace the ageing Pekatahi Bridge shows "a collective push around a unified purpose can really make a difference".
Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced on Thursday that a new two-lane bridge will be built on State Highway 2 near Tāneatua to replace the Pekatahi Bridge.
Work was expected to begin mid-2027 and cost between $64 and $69 million.
The century-old, one-lane bridge, originally built for the railway, is a vital link between Gisborne or the East Cape and Whakatāne, or further north.
Broken planks, potholed tar seal and raised screws that often become stuck in tyres make up its surface and it is closed several times a year for ineffective repairs.
Tanczos said he had had a lot of text messages on Thursday from people excited about the news.
"There are a lot of people who are very happy about it. It's going to be great for our district, our sub-region and people up the coast - there's so many benefits for us economically and socially."
He noted Bishop had "listened to the local community and freight industry concerns".
"It's really the combined effort of mayors, councillors, MPs and transport sector. There's a lot of people who have been making a lot of noise about it," Tanczos said.
New Zealand Transport Agency had identified some technical issues through detailed inspections as to why the bridge needed to be replaced, rather than simply putting a new single lane deck on the existing foundations as was previously planned.
"Which is kind of what the community has been saying - that these ongoing repairs have not really been cutting it," Tanczos said.
Tanczos said he was aware that there were some people in Tāneatua who were concerned about what this meant for their town.
The state highway passed through Tāneatua with children needing to cross it to reach the school and a children's playground.
"People are concerned about the possible increase in heavy traffic, especially if it comes through at speed. There are concerns about the safety of local tamariki. I get that.
"I'm sure that NZTA will be engaging with that community. If there's issues that we need to address collectively, I'll be doing my best to make sure those are taken into account."
Councillor Wilson James has also kept pressure on NZTA to have the Pekatahi Bridge replaced and raised it at a meeting just last week.
"I'm certainly very elated that it's about to happen," he told Local Democracy Reporting on Wednesday.
"I firmly believe it will take pressure off the Whakatāne Bridge. In the morning, State Highway 30 is just about bumper to bumper all the way through from Awakeri to the bridge.
"I've always said that even if just 30 percent of the traffic coming through Awakeri felt that it was quicker to go around and enter Whakatāne through Valley Road, it would take a lot of pressure off.
Robert Monk from Robert Monk Transport, who spoke to Local Democracy Reporting last year about the shocking state of the bridge surface, said it was very good news.
"It can't happen quickly enough," he said.
He was particularly pleased that NZTA would be making improvements to the deck of the existing bridge in the meantime.
Bishop said they would be installing steel plates on the deck starting midway through next year.
Monk was a little concerned that the steel plates could result in a slippery surface when wet.
"I guess the proof will be in the pudding."
East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick said she was delighted with the news.
"This issue has been a priority for me since becoming MP in 2023, and I'm delighted to see this project moving forward.
"I want to thank everyone who shared photos, videos, and messages highlighting the problems with the current bridge - the truck drivers who showed repair receipts, and the residents who were frustrated by years of neglect. Without their voices, we wouldn't have put the pressure on NZTA that led to this outcome.
"This a game-changing result for the region's transport resilience, for our productive business sector and regional economic growth." Kirkpatrick said.
Design and consenting for the new bridge is expected to be completed by the end of next year and $5m funding had been approved by NZTA, which already owns the necessary land to deliver the project.
The new bridge will be constructed next to the current bridge before it is demolished and is expected to take around 18 months, meaning it could be opened in a little as three years.
Bridges said the bridge would be built to a standard that accommodates High Productivity Motor Vehicles, it would include earthquake-resilient foundations and an elevated deck to protect against flooding.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
