**The new bridge comes with a few question marks over just where it will go. Photo: Dan Hutchinson**

The long-awaited process of designing and building a new bridge over the Waikato River in Taupō has taken its first tentative steps.

By Dan Hutchinson

The Taupō District Council recently held a workshop to start narrowing down preferred options for a second bridge, with the existing Control Gates Bridge already at full capacity during peak periods.

Further development at Nukuhau, Acacia Bay and Kinloch relies on a new bridge.

At a workshop on May 22, councillors considered four options.

At present, the travel time from Acacia Bay to central Taupō is seven minutes, with the bridge nearing capacity. Modelling indicates that will increase to nine minutes in the 2030’s and a whopping 23 minutes once northern areas are fully developed.

Mercury owns the existing Control Gates Bridge with the council owning the road the runs over it.

A study by consultants WSP, presented at the workshop suggest a second bridge, just downstream of the existing bridge is the best solution, rather than adding lanes.

At the workshop councillors considered a four lane Control Gates Bridge, a three lane bridge with lanes changing for “tidal flows”, a new bridge that emerged onto Opepe St and a new bridge that emnerged onto Waikato St.

The Waikato St option was listed as the preferred option by WSP.

In a Facebook post, Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor, who chaired the workshop, stressed that the options presented were a first cut only and no decisions had already been made, or would be made at the workshop or in any other forum until after full public consultation.

“This is at the early stages – there’s another Long-term Plan process to go through. It’s draft information, there’s a lot of conversations to have with stakeholders and businesses and this is just information-sharing.”

At this stage, modelling shows that a second bridge downstream of the current bridge with a link to Spa Rd via Opepe St would best support growth and increase efficiency and resilience. It would avoid the Tongariro St/Spa Rd roundabout and split traffic heading east towards schools and the industrial area away from traffic heading to the Taupō town centre.