Wakefield Street Bridge replacement

Background

The Wakefield Street Bridge in Whanganui East, built in the 1950s, has reached the end of its serviceable life. Following a structural failure identified in February 2025, the bridge was closed to vehicles and is now open only to pedestrians and cyclists.

The bridge replacement was not included in the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) when it was first adopted. Because of the bridge failure and urgent need, a variation to the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2021-31 (2024 Review) was requested, to formally include the Wakefield Street Bridge Replacement project.

Current status and next steps

The council’s evaluation of the Wakefield Street Bridge is that repair is not viable, and we are progressing plans for a full bridge replacement.

The request to seek a variation to the Regional Land Transport Programme (RLTP) was taken to the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) in early September. The request was to include the replacement of the Wakefield Street Bridge in the current RLTP, with a projected cost of $2.5 million.

The request to include the replacement of the bridge was approved by the RTC, which means the council can proceed with a submission to NZTA for funding consideration.

In the meantime, we must also submit a formal application with KiwiRail, finalise our detailed design drawings and prepare tender documents.

If we are successful in our funding application with NZTA we are hoping to start construction mid 2026 at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the bridge will remain available to pedestrians and cyclists only, and alternative routes will continue to be managed for vehicles.

Alternative routes for traffic

Alternative routes around the bridge via Tinirau Street, Holyoake Street, and Eastown Road have been implemented. Barriers and road closure signage has been installed before the bridge in both directions.

Background information

Letter of Request RLTP Variation Wakefield Street Bridge