Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge and surrounding transport network

Project summary

What we're doing

A key part of a wider transport network planned for the Peacocke neighbourhood, Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge, is set to open in mid-2024.

The bridge features:

four lanes, including two transit lanes
separate pedestrian and bike paths
a span of 95-110m over the Waikato River
no piers in the river, and a single Y-shaped pillar on the south bank of the river, supporting a flat bridge deck spanning more than 200m
a pedestrian bridge on the northern side of the river
lighting and structural features to minimise the impact on the native long-tailed bats and the surrounding environment, both during construction and when it is operational.

The surrounding transport network features:

a 1.6km extension to Wairere Drive from the new bridge
urban upgrades to Weston Lea Drive and Peacockes Road to accommodate traffic and footpaths
a network of underpasses, separated bike paths, and roads that prioritise buses and other public transport
a two-lane, four-way roundabout at the intersection of Wairere Drive extension and Peacockes Road
a signalised intersection at Peacockes Road and Weston Lea Drive
relocated and newly installed utility services to cater for growth
new stormwater, wastewater, and water supply pipes.

Why we're doing it

Peacocke and up to 20,000 future residents will need good connections to the rest of the city and the wider region. The new bridge and the new pedestrian- bike- and public transport-friendly road network provides this integration of Peacocke into Hamilton.

This project will

Connect Peacocke to the rest of the city
Prioritise public transport, pedestrians and people on bikes
Protect the health of our river and wildlife

Project features

Environment-focused bridge
A striking design with no piers in the river, plus lighting and structural features that will minimise impact on native long-tailed bats and the surrounding environment.
Walk, cycle, bus
There will be dedicated bus lanes on the new bridge, a pedestrian overbridge on the northern side of the river, plus a network of underpasses, separated bike paths and roads that prioritise buses and other public transport.
2,650 tonnes
The amount of structural steel needed to reinforce the completed bridge.

Where we're at with progress

Stage 1 - Planning

2019
Preliminary design.
Stage 2 - Underway

November 2020
Work by HEB construction began on the bridge and surrounding network.
Stage 3 - Completed

2024
The bridge and surrounding transport network are set to open in mid 2024.

Take a look

Project blueprint

Concrete pour timelapse – March 2023

Forming the central pier – May 2022

Te Ara Pekapeka You Neighbourhood Event

The new bridge to Peacocke marked an exciting milestone in May 2022 as work was completed to install two steel structures for the central support for the bridge. The steel structures weigh more than 200 tonnes each (that's 200,000kg!) and are being lifted into place by one of the largest crawler cranes in the country. In July 2022, HEB Construction won Lift of the Year at the 2022 NZ Crane Awards! The top award recognised the complex and unique crane lift to form the central pier.

Project timelapse cameras

Frequently asked questions

What is the cost of construction?

The construction contract for the new bridge and surrounding transport network (including pedestrian bridge, 1.6km of new and upgraded roads, wastewater pipes and a roundabout) was originally awarded for $135 million. Since then, Council has approved increases to the contract of $26.6 million ($2.1 million for costs associated with COVID-19 and $24.5 million for inflation). Council has also approved $5 million of additional works, fully funded by developers, to be added to the contract. The current contract value is $166.6 million.

How is the project funded?

This is funded through the Government's Housing Infrastructure Fund, made up of a $180.3 million 10-year interest-free loan and $110.1 million of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency subsidies.

Why did we build the bridge? Why here and why now?

Peacocke is one of Hamilton's largest greenfield areas and the third greenfield area to be developed after Rototuna and Rotokauri. It’s zoned for housing to support the city’s growing population, but development hadn’t started due to infrastructure challenges.

Existing transport connections on their own were not suitable for the number of people travelling in and out of Peacocke to the rest of Hamilton. The bridge route is part of the wider Hamilton Southern Links network, which was planned in 2014. Southern Links had two options for connections north – one west to the central city and one east across the Waikato River to Wairere Drive at Cobham.

The biggest challenge for early development in Peacocke was wastewater, and Hamilton’s western wastewater network didn’t have enough capacity for Peacocke. The bridge location across the Waikato River to Wairere Drive at Cobham was chosen to carry strategic wastewater pipes that connect Peacocke to Hamilton’s eastern network and treatment plant. It also provides a transport link to the ring road.

We built the bridge now to take advantage of the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund – a 10-year interest-free loan that helped with the problem of high up-front infrastructure costs.

How did we plan for the bridge?

Transport planning for Peacocke has been underway for decades, starting when the area was brought into Hamilton’s city boundaries in 1989. Since then, we've explored land use, transport layouts, staging options, and different travel modes.

The 2007 Peacocke Structure Plan laid the groundwork, followed by the Southern Links investigation and designation in 2014. Both involved significant community and stakeholder engagement to get community feedback and led to formal hearings with public submissions heard by independent panels. In 2017, we submitted a Detailed Business Case to MBIE which considered bridge designs, public transport, walking and cycling options, and various connection routes – ensuring the final design reflected both technical needs and community input. The final decision on the bridge investment and location was part of statutory consultation for Council’s 2018 – 28 Long Term Plan.

These plans considered not just roads and bridges, but how to build a connected, future-ready neighbourhood with safe, accessible transport for all modes – cars, buses, bikes, and pedestrians, integrated with land use and strategic services planning for residential development, commercial centres and schools.

How did we design the bridge?

The Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge spans 180m across the Waikato River.

Work on the bridge started with early investigations back in 2012, including geotechnical and environmental assessments. These were used for our 2014 bridge consent and support the application to secure HIF funding. Once funding was approved, experts completed further geotechnical and environmental investigations, and we evaluated our options. This led to choosing a concept, followed by preliminary, and detailed designs, which were carefully reviewed by independent engineers.

The bridge was designed for challenging geotechnical conditions, with deep foundations and structural design to handle earthquakes, flooding, and erosion, as well as normal loads like traffic and wind. The final construction didn’t need to change from the original approved design. Again, the geotechnical and structural designs were rigorously peer reviewed as part of finalising the design.

The bridge has no piers in the river, protecting the river’s health and native wildlife – an important feature for our iwi partners. It used 2650 tonnes of steel, and included:

collaboration between expert geotechnical, structural, civil and stormwater engineers, architects, planners, ecologists, landscape architects, and hydrologists.
resilient construction designed to withstand major floods and earthquakes without significant damage.
an elegant, low-risk girder design that accommodates essential services and includes cost effective features to maintain visual appeal.
a Y-shaped support structure that minimises span lengths, saves on materials and construction costs, and stays out of the river.
separate pedestrian and cycling paths, with flexibility to adjust the bridge layout if future transport needs change.
lighting and landscaping designed with ecologists to protect flight paths of Pekapeka tou-roa (long-tailed bats).

How complex was it to build the bridge?

Building a large road bridge across a wide river is difficult.

The Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge is a complex and cost-effective design that has been nationally and internationally recognised for its design and construction excellence. It shows Hamilton’s ability to deliver large scale infrastructure in challenging economic times.

An interactive tender process helped contractors find safer and more efficient ways to build, saving money and improving value.

Temporary construction setups were carefully planned to allow access for New Zealand’s biggest crawler crane, manage tricky crane lifts, and stabilise the riverbank using soil nails.

The bridge and its strategic connections took four years to build, with contractors putting in about 800,000 hours of work.

What is the cost of construction of the Te Ara Pekapeka bridge?

The construction contract for the new bridge and surrounding transport network (including the pedestrian bridge, 1.6km of new and upgraded roads, wastewater pipes and a roundabout) was originally awarded for $135 million. Since then, Council approved increases to the contract of $26.6 million ($2.1 million for costs associated with COVID-19 and $24.5 million for inflation). Council also approved $5 million of additional works, fully funded by developers, to be added to the contract. The final contract value is $166.6 million.

How is it funded?

The bridge was funded as part of the government's Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), made up of a $180.3 million 10-year interest-free loan and $110.1 million of NZ Transport Agency financial assistance. The NZTA financial assistance was a grant, saving Hamilton $110.1 million of local funding.

The 10-year interest-free loan saves millions in interest. For each quarter Council spent money on the bridge and other HIF infrastructure, we received a separate loan that doesn’t need to be repaid for 10 years. For example, money loaned in September 2024 won’t need to be paid back until September 2034. This gives time for development contributions (DCs) to build up, helping smooth short-term economic and housing cycles.

90% of the HIF loan will be repaid by developers through DCs, and the remaining 10% through rates. Contributions for strategic transport infrastructure like the bridge are based on city-wide growth, not just Peacocke. Current growth across Hamilton is tracking as expected, so the city’s forecast DCs are on budget.

Why did costs increase?

The cost of the Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge project rose due to inflation, COVID-19-related disruptions, and extreme weather events like Cyclone Gabrielle. These factors drove up the price of materials and labour beyond the costs expected when budgets were set in 2018. The bulk of the increase reflects national and international economic pressures that affected infrastructure projects nationwide. Additional works were added and funded by developers for construction efficiency and to avoid disruption in future.

How many houses have been built in Peacocke?

Central government requires Council to plan for and support new housing to meet Hamilton’s future growth. Major investments, like those in Peacocke, are part of a medium to long-term strategy. We’re already seeing new homes being built, and over the next 30 years, this new neighbourhood will continue to grow until it’s fully developed.

Since 2018, when infrastructure investment through the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) began:

394 homes have been built
100 building consents are currently in progress
1345 homes have approved subdivision consents
900 homes are part of consent applications currently in progress
139ha of residential land is now strategically serviced, enough for around 3780 homes.

This is in addition to the 371 homes that were built before 2018 in the Peacocke Stage 1 area.

Peacocke made up around 45% of Hamilton’s section sales in 2024/25. Peacocke is growing steadily, and like other Hamilton suburbs, development takes time. For example, the Pukete Bridge was completed in 1996, when there were very few houses in the north of the city. Now, nearly 30 years later, Rototuna is almost complete and still growing – a bustling suburb that was once farmland.

How did Council reduce the risks of cost increases?

Through thorough planning and procurement processes that responded to the threat of COVID-19, we were able to manage the overall impact of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. We took several steps to manage costs:

Starting construction as planned, while recognising the risks of COVID-19, helped avoid significant inflation. Waiting even a couple of years could have increased costs by 30% or more.
We required COVID-19 management plans to anticipate procurement challenges and protect construction continuity. With careful procurement and site management, such as separating site teams to avoid cross-infection, we were able to continue construction on site, and steel fabrication in Northland and Hawke’s Bay, when Auckland or Waikato were shut down or restricted.
Price escalation clauses were built into the contract from the start. This is best practice for large contracts, allowing contractors to plan with confidence rather than guessing how the economy might change over several years.
Bulk buying steel early in the contract saved millions. If we had waited until just before we needed it, steel prices would have nearly doubled, and we would have faced other supply chain problems and delays related to COVID-19.

Is Peacocke value for money?

Peacocke provides value for money for ratepayers because:

Council chose Peacocke as the most effective option after evaluating alternatives, including investing in Rotokauri instead, developing both Peacocke and Rotokauri simultaneously, or declining the HIF funding altogether.
New Zealand government provides 10-year interest-free loans that only start when Council draws down funds – so we only pay the loans back 10-years after we build, with no interest until then.
51% of Peacocke HIF transport project costs are covered by the National Land Transport Fund – financial assistance as a grant that directly saves the local community $110 million.
Construction during economic downturns boosts the local economy – every $1 spent in construction typically generates $2.50 in wider economic benefits – more than $500 million from the strategic infrastructure in this case.
Peacocke is located conveniently for the city centre, and connections to Ruakura and the university. This means shorter service connections to the existing networks than building further away, and saves people travel time, costs and emissions in the long term.

Before the project was approved, expert economists estimated that for every $1 spent, the community would receive about $5 in benefits, including the infrastructure construction benefits, house building, and household expenditure. This was part of the Detailed Business Case, which was independently reviewed by MBIE and approved by NZTA, Treasury, and Cabinet.

When it came to building the bridge, Council ran a competitive tender process. Contractors were shortlisted and invited to submit proposals. The process considered both price and quality, followed strict procurement rules, and included legal checks and independent oversight to ensure everything was fair and transparent.

Despite costs increases driven by external factors such as COVID-19 and extreme weather, Peacocke was delivered within budgets approved by Council through Annual Plan and Long-Term Plan processes.

Council reports to MBIE every quarter to show exactly how Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) money is used, with annual reports on land and homes enabled. Transport projects are also audited by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to ensure transparency and compliance.