Source: Christchurch City Council
The Christchurch City Council has given the green light for construction of three bridges crossing the Avon River in the city’s eastern suburbs.
The bridges include the Medway Street and Snell Place Bridges, which have been missing since the earthquakes.
The Avondale Bridge is a new bridge that will “provide a connection to the future Eastern Reach wetland restoration area.”
Design for Avondale Bridge – Christchurch City Council
The three bridges, and a new riverside landing at Dallington, are being funded by a $13.7 million grant from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust.
Finance and Performance Committee Chair and Deputy Mayor Andrew Turner said the bridges will help reconnect communities on each side of the river.
In August the Christchurch City Council claimed members of the public had concerns over the “lack of any cultural identity.”
Council then decided to worth with the Matapopore Trust on how to “incorporate Ngāi Tahu and mana whenua identity into the bridges” and Dallington landin. They provided council with “guidance on embedding cultural values and narrative.”
That service is charged to the council.
The Medway Street footbridge was ‘munted’ by the earthquakes. Photo: Christchurch City Council
“The construction of the bridges signals the start of the Council’s work to develop the regeneration area into a valuable asset for Christchurch.”
Turner said “we want encourage people to come and explore the Avon River Corridor, and these new bridges will make it significantly easier for people to develop meaningful connections to the neighbouring communities and to the land itself.”
The Council published initial bridge designs for community feedback in June, and used the feedback to refine the designs of each.
All three bridges will be single-span, made from steel truss, with concrete decks and sliding, jackable abutments to mitigate lateral spread.
Work on constructing the bridges is expected to start in early 2021.
