Little bridge gets a big upgrade
Many people probably don’t realise it, but there’s a small bridge on Lower Queen Street, a small bridge that is about to get a major upgrade.
Borck Creek runs under the Lower Queen Street bridge next to Headingly Lane, but it’s not wide enough to pass sufficient stormwater flow. The new larger bridge will ensure water can flow away better during heavy rain, reducing the risk of flooding with further work being done downstream to widen the channel out to the estuary.
The current bridge is about 14 metres long and is to be replaced by a new 48-metre-long structure which will allow the channel under it to be widened.
The project has been planned for several years and has a budget of around $11.5 million. It will take around 10 to 14 months to complete depending upon which traffic management option is chosen.
Lower Queen Street will be closed for the week beginning 12 May for site preparation work.
Lower Queen St Bridge flyover
Why is this work needed?
Borck Creek is one of the critical watercourses in the Richmond catchment serving a 1,400-hectare catchment area. It has gone through a significant journey of planning to secure a corridor not only for the use of stormwater relief but also providing public amenity and ecological value.
The Borck Creek development is a long-term project. Currently this small bridge creates a bottle neck in this part of the stormwater network. The new longer bridge is vital to ensure large volumes of accumulated water can easily and quickly flow out into the Waimea Estuary in a large flood.
Detours for Lower Queen Street Closure
When Lower Queen Street is closed for one week in May, and potentially for the full construction period, eastbound traffic - travelling toward Richmond - will be detoured via McShane Road to connect with State Highway 60 at Old Factory Corner then travel into Richmond via Gladstone Road, or Bateup to Wensley Road.
Other route options for traffic entering and exiting the industrial areas off Lower Queen Street will be Lansdowne and Swamp Roads.
It's expected that some vehicles will also choose to take a route through Berryfield Drive but this will be closed to heavy vehicles. Click the image below to enlarge.
Detour routes during the one-week closure - Click to enlarge.
Closure area for the potential bypass road
If the temporary slip road around the construction site is the chosen option, it will have to meet full road construction standards to provide a quality surface for all users, including heavy vehicles.
Lower Queens Street will be closed between the Arvida Lifestyle Village entrance and McShane Road intersection only with the bypass road going around the work site.
The image below shows the indicative bypass route if this option is agreed to. Click to enlarge.
The blue line is an indication of where the bypass road will go. The other blue line shows the extension of Saltmarsh Lane to provide access to Headingly Lane.
Traffic management
There will be short periods when the road will still need to be closed even if the bypass road is chosen. These closures are likely be scheduled outside peak hours or at night. Where feasible, we will schedule these outside peak hours.
We will share any road closure information via the Antenno app – download it for free from the app store on your phone.
You can also click the follow button in the banner at the top of this page to receive updates.
