Bridge to Better works under way

One of the largest infrastructure projects in central Nelson has begun as businesses brace for months of disruption.

Preparatory works for the Bridge to Better project began this week, causing the closure of Bridge St between Trafalgar and Collingwood Sts.

The Nelson City Council said the work involved contractors inspecting a historic brick-lined sewer pipe running under Bridge St, installing new manholes to access and maintain the pipe, installing a new underground power cable and removing the heritage kerbstones for reuse when the street is rebuilt.

The council said the road had to stay closed during the work because of the machinery required on site, including diggers, trucks, concrete cutters and a hydrovac unit that uses high-pressure water and a powerful vacuum for excavation.

The road closure is expected to continue until early December. Barriers line both sides of the street but there is pedestrian access at the Fiddle Lane raised crossing.

Some Bridge St business had temporary signs up on Tuesday saying they were still open. One store worker said having the front door closed kept out most of the noise and a cloth barrier had worked well to contain dust from the works.

“Things are going as well as they can,” she said. She was pleased that the historic kerbstones would be re-used.

Tanya Nock of Cultural Conversations says the social enterprise is aiming to get creative to minimise disruption from the Bridge to Better project .Martin de Ruyter / Nelson Mail

Tanya Nock, from Cultural Conversations which has its hub and safe space for the “global majority” on Bridge St, said council communications about the works had been good.

But the reality was that the project was noisy and affected access to their premises, so it was a matter of being creative and working through it.

Late night events in the lead-up to Christmas had been suggested as a possibility to draw people in after the roadworks had finished for the day.

“It’s going to be a bit like going through contractions, but you realise at the end of the day it’s going to be something beautiful.”

The council’s group manager, infrastructure Alec Louverdis said a comprehensive mitigation plan had been developed to help businesses during the work.

That included clear and bright signage pointing customers to businesses, avoiding noisy work during opening hours where possible, helping businesses get goods in and rubbish out, and designing traffic management plans to help those with limited mobility access the street.

“We have a marketing and promotional campaign in place, letting people know about the works, and encouraging people to still visit Bridge St,” he said.

The council, with the help of the Chamber of Commerce, was also encouraging those affected to use business support services and were offering support through resilience and wellbeing sessions. It was also working with Uniquely Nelson and Bridge St businesses for specific promotional activity later in the year.

The main Bridge to Better upgrade is scheduled to begin in February next year and run until July 2027. The project has been described by council staff as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to upgrade century-old infrastructure, create a greener, safer and more people-friendly city centre and support investment and economic growth.

Three-waters infrastructure and other services will be upgraded to enable inner-city developments and reduce the flooding of Wakatu Square car park during king tides.

The council has acknowledged the project would be difficult for businesses, but said the necessary upgrades and would benefit businesses in the long-term.

The Government has committed $36.4 million from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, and the council has committed $32m to Bridge to Better.

As well as the infrastructure upgrade the Bridge St streetscape will be revamped.

Departing deputy mayor and chair of the city revitalisation task force, Rohan O’Neill Stevens, said in a statement that a collaboration with iwi has given the project a depth that went beyond physical design.

“Working alongside iwi has meant this isn’t just a street upgrade, it’s a chance to bring cultural narratives to life in ways that everyone can see and experience. The result is a design that feels authentic to Whakatū and unmistakably Nelson.”

A geometric tāniko weaving design pattern will zig-zag down the street, reflecting the movement of tidal currents (Bridge St once marked the foreshore of a tidal estuary before land reclamation).

It would be complemented by curving kōwhaiwhai patterns in the paving, symbolising the ebb and flow of the tides.

At the Haven Road intersection, sculptural features, including a tauihu (waka prow), kupenga (fishing net) and waka tū (standing waka), will be situated in feature gardens.

The street would also feel significantly greener with native plantings arranged to trace the journey from Te Ngāhere (The Wood) to Te Paruparu (the estuary).

“What excites me is that Bridge to Better doesn’t choose between infrastructure, environment or culture — it holds them together,” O’Neill-Stevens said. That balance is at the heart of the kaupapa and why this project will feel different from anything Nelson has seen before.”

Source: Nelson Mail, The Press