Victoria “High Level” Bridge
It is clear that Waipā District Council has, at long last, come out into the open regarding a future traffic plan for Cambridge.
Although, to be more precise, a general domicile for a possible third river bridge crossing. No surprise that it is in the general area of the Matos Segedin complex but matters of access and egress are left very much in the air. Again, to be fair to the council, they are listening to observers from outside of the council meeting room and power to their arm for that.
Peter Carr
I suggest we all take the helicopter (or the drone) a little higher and ask ourselves just what traffic would utilise such a flow lane opportunity given that the ancient high bridge would be restricted to pedestrian and low speed vehicular traffic (bikes, scooters, pedestrians, four-wheel drive carts etc. In other words, while it is obvious that most of the traffic from Te Awamutu (and further) plus Kaipaki Road sourced movements would, in the main, use the third bridge.
The key question for those coming from the south and west is – what then? The target for the greater majority will be the Waikato Expressway – the extension to which (totally frustrated by the restrictive 2017 Labour/Greens government) will hopefully be in place all the way to the new roundabout at Piarere. A draft (and very much a draft) diagram suggests that, once the bridge is crossed, the (generally) northbound traffic will come to a screaming halt at the roundabout by St Andrew’s church. It is a pinch point that is already over-utilised with notable waiting times during commuter and school hours traffic movements.
Proponents of the bridge have been demanding attention for many years, but it is clear that a whole of movement(s) plan needs to be discussed sooner rather than later. This before the fast-growing residential boom that Cambridge is experiencing (especially on the north side) chokes off all avenues of sensible movement.
The marked growth of tonnage flowing through the Port of Tauranga has shown locally in Cambridge with a noticeable increase in truck traffic linking the port with the King Country and Taranaki. Increases in export goods movements is very healthy for the country providing that the channels of movements are clear and un-cluttered. Clearance of a local pinch point to suit local Cambridge needs is unwelcome if restrictions to overall long-distance flows are increased.
It could be argued that the long-distance export-bound truck traffic should head towards the Tainui-supported large freight interchange alongside the railway link at Ruakura. However, many truck operators will die in the ditch to crawl over the dangerous Kaimai Hill rather than hand their freight to the severely loss-making railway operator. However, should this commence-sense solution prevail, the heavy traffic thundering through Cambridge would be markedly reduced.
I am very much an exponent of free trade and free operation of the country’s infrastructure but sometimes there is a need for an element of governmental common sense directional control required.
See: Put it there! Corridor for third bridge revealed
See: Bridge a ‘bolt out of the blue’
