$16m bridge that doesn’t exist when $2.75m would do

“The Burnside Bridge in Central Hawke’s Bay is a small project that reveals a big problem. New Zealand has forgotten how to build practical infrastructure,” says ACT Infrastructure spokesperson Simon Court.

“The bridge was damaged in Cyclone Gabrielle. Traffic volumes are low, and there’s a short detour available. A basic replacement is estimated at around $2.75 million.

“Instead, the council has scoped a two-lane bridge pushing costs toward $16 million, while just $560,000 has been set aside to demolish the existing bridge, not rebuild it.

“That tells you everything about the system. If a simple rural bridge can’t be rebuilt, something has gone badly wrong.

“Rural New Zealand is full of one-lane bridges that do the job safely and efficiently. That option hasn’t been seriously considered here, even though it would reconnect the community at a fraction of the cost.

“We don’t start with a simple question, what’s the quickest, most cost-effective way to reconnect this community? We start with the most complex design possible, then wonder why nothing gets built.

“As a former civil engineer, I’ve seen how this happens. No one gets in trouble for over designing, but taking a practical approach carries risk. So costs keep rising until the project falls over.

“That’s how modest projects turn into unaffordable ones, and why communities are left waiting.”

Mr Court says the focus needs to shift back to delivery.

“Communities should be shown the real options, including lower-cost solutions, and the trade-offs involved. Projects should be staged, fixing the immediate problem first. And every upgrade in standard should be clearly justified, not quietly added.

“People don’t expect perfection. They expect infrastructure that works.

“If we want more built, we need to be honest about what’s good enough, and get on with it.”