If there is one thing I feel that we should be praising the NZTA for in recent years it is that they have really upped their game when it comes to the design of infrastructure and probably the most noticeable of these has been in the various foot bridges they have erected on some of the motorway projects. The first part of latest of these unique bridges was installed last night on the southern side of the Newmarket viaduct and is intended to replace the existing footbridge that crossed the motorway and rail lines.
And here is what it will look like when finished in a few weeks time:
Interestingly it is very similar design to the NZTA logo:
Personally I think it looks great and as mentioned there have been a number of other uniquely designed bridges in recent years, here are some of the examples and some of the planned bridges for the future:
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Wow – Newmarket viaduct bridge looks great. Logo inspured huh? I’m also impressed with the Jacob’s ladder bridge. Who decided to develop interesting looking bridges?
I also love the bicycle on the back of the vehicle in the first photo – they are useful!
The Jacobs Ladder bridge is a bit of a mess. Anyone know when it’s actually opening? Must have been delayed at least seven months by now thanks to dodgy panels.
From the 04th October
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/about/media/releases/2221/news.html
Work resumed last weekend and it will be completed by Christmas.
NZTA are building some nice footbridges for sure, but they’re only coming because NZTA have billions to build motorways and they’ve decided that nice footbridges make their motorways look more attractive. Kind of like icing a cake of manure.
When it comes to the most important walking & cycling bridge of all, the AHB Pathway, NZTA claim that they no funding to support it.
who is designing all of these? I know Jasmax were involved in the Pukeko bridge on SH1. Are NZTA using bridge architects all the time now?
I regularly cycle over the Clarkes lane bridge at Hobsonville as an alternative to Brigham’s Creek Road. It adds on 700 metres but is a pleasant alternative.
However, the Greenhithe Bridge lane is still a disaster design with a list of potential hazards. It is a one way cycle lane marked for two way which most cyclists fortunately ignore and northbound use the pedestrian side. The steep downgrade westbound adds to the list and frankly cyclists with a closing speed up to 70kph do not mix with wandering dog walkers and their dogs, often off a leach. Unlike the waterfront which is a footpath shared by slow cyclists and others this by it’s nature is a cycle path shared by pedestrians. The pedestrian side should be marked to share with northbound cyclists and the motorway dividing fence on the causeway lowered 75cm to improve the site line round the bend for a start.
It’s a pity they can’t make more of Auckland’s buildings as cool as all these motorway bridges they’re building or have built. They deserve more recognition for their great work.
They are employing architects on these projects well aren’t they ?
Doesn’t look like there’s much room for the train wires under the Newmarket one…. well it is an artist’s impression so let’s hope they are just taking some licence….
Here is a image showing the impact on the rail corridor. It appears the bridge will be as low as it possibly can be above it.
Given the bridge is metal, would electrical arcing be a concern?
Where did you get this image from Matt? I see a third track has been allowed for. In regard to arcing, I expect they will shield the section of the span closest to the rail line, in some sort of rubberised material.
From the NZTA, much nicer than the other designs they came up with.
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/newmarketconnection/dilworth-footbridge.html
This bridge and the Onehunga Bridge were designed by Jeff Wells.
So no chance ever of double decker trains I guess. Although I’m assuming that the existing bridges and tunnels make that impossible anyway…?
We would have to change all bridges and tunnels so it would be a massive cost and it doesn’t actually provide that many benefits. Sydney for example is looking at replacing double deckers on some lines with single deck trains and doing so will actually give more capacity because they actually hold almost the same number of passengers but they can be much faster at stations so more trains can be run. Double deckers only really make sense on longer distance trains that don’t stop so frequently.
The loading gauge for rail in New Zealand has always meant that double deckers are infeasible. It was difficult enough to get clearances for the electification, let along double decked trains. No worry anyway, frequent single deck trains are probably a better option for our sort of network.
I figured it was along those lines, both due to the gauge and the current infrastructure. Hadn’t thought about the time at stations, but it does make sense to have single deck trains within Auckland. Although I guess I was hoping that regular longer distance trains might become a reality at some point… Hamilton being the obvious first destination (I know there have been attempts/suggestions but too many problems).
They do look lovely – though CAA has had some concerns with some of them being really missed opportunities for serving cycling as well as walking. The Newmarket and Jacobs Ladder bridges for example are too narrow, respectively, it has no ramp on the eastern side (so cyclists have to use the lift). Thankfully, the Westgate and Waterview bridges both will serve cyclists very well.
There shouldn’t be a problem, it is much wider than the previous bridge.
I’ve been cycling over the existing Newmarket footbridge for the last 20 years and I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I’ve encountered someone else on the bridge. It is certainly wide enough for a cyclist and a pedestrian to share (with care), and the new bridge is wider still. Like the old bridge, the new bridge will have ramps at both ends.
That’s good to hear, Chris – we were told the opposite, and thus had some concerns around the tight 90-degree bends. Lets hope it turns out the best.
Problem with the lift is it doesn’t work if someone forget’s to pay the power bill. I went to use it yesterday and it wasn’t working and had this message next to it.
http://i.imgur.com/Lm3IauA.jpg
It is also possible they never thought about the electrification.
Here in Wellington, a whole new $10 million overhead wire contract was signed for the trolley buses, that did not allow for the trolleys to run at weekends, or even weekday. evenings. To be precise, the contract with the bus company (NZ Bus) requires trolley operation seven days a week from first bus to last, but the contract with the multiple owners of the wires ignored the weekends, and so, the most expensive buses in NZ only run from dawn to dusk on weekday business days, and never on weekends or holidays, despite millions being paid to the operator to run them at all timetabled times.
Imagine how many millions taxpayers could pay if that walkway is not high enough to carry the train catenary under it.
And so they don’t, despite all that loot being paid not to run trolleys.
I dont get it…multiple owners of the wires? What? Why? Furthermore, why cant the trolley buses run on weekends? Is there no electricity available then??
I know – it’s an appalling situation.
There are evening trollys run here in the capital and from memory, the city council own all the wires so no multiple owners to deal with
Good to see my comparison re: the NZTA logo come through to this blog haha. Cheers Matt.
NZTA are building some nice footbridges for sure, but they’re only coming because NZTA have billions to build motorways and they’ve decided that nice footbridges make their motorways look more attractive. Kind of like icing a cake of manure.
When it comes to the most important walking & cycling bridge of all, the AHB Pathway, NZTA claim that they no funding to support it.
True. And there are some crazy rules that allow them to keep doing this.
The trolley wires are owned by WCCL a city council company. It contracts Transfield to maintain the wires, and that contract only allows trolley operation Monday to Friday.
The power supply to the wires is owned by someone else again, a Hong Kong company last time I saw it change hands.
Go Wellington the bus operator is contracted to run trolleys seven days a week but cannot run them on weekends and holidays because of the overhead wire contract between WCCL and Transfield.
Phaaaaaaark. Really? Who’s writing these contracts: Franz Kafka?