Bridge to Better is a significant initiative for Nelson, jointly funded by central government and Nelson City Council, that will develop the infrastructure required to build capacity for approximately 1000 new homes in our city centre. The project will focus on improving the capacity and resilience of the city centre’s Three Waters infrastructure, as well as changing the layout of Bridge Street so that it becomes a more people-focussed, active transport corridor. Cycling and walking will also be made safer, more convenient and pleasant, helping reduce Nelson’s carbon emissions and easing pressure on parking.

The total cost of the project is expected to be more than $70M, with the Government allocating $36.4M from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund.

Nelson’s residents have indicated a desire to see more high density, affordable, city centre housing brought to market. To enable this development the city’s water infrastructure needs to be upgraded. This covers the delivery of clean drinking water and the management of waste and storm water.

A vital element of increasing city centre living is also providing recreational space for city centre residents to use that is close to their homes. As such, the Bridge to Better project will transform Bridge Street into a more social, green, people-focussed place that will meet this need while also improving what it offers in terms of transport and as a retail/commercial environment.

Residents and visitors say they find it challenging, and often intimidating, to use active transport to move through and within our city centre, despite its compact size and good connectivity from the suburbs.

Feedback to Te Ara ō Whakatū, Nelson’s City Centre Spatial Plan, demonstrated a strong desire for a city centre with people-focused streets and walkways. To achieve this, slow speed transport corridors are both desirable and necessary. This will allow a wide range of transport options to be used, including micro-mobility, bicycles, walking, buses and cars.

Residents have also told Council that they value having more green spaces in the urban environment and the shade it brings, for both practical, environmental and mental health benefits. They want the city’s streets to be a more pleasant place to spend time, which in turn has a positive impact on the culture of our community and the performance of Nelson’s retail and hospitality sectors.

• Using central government funds to fast-track major infrastructure upgrades and help unlock housing development
• Supporting the viability of significant housing developments
• Revitalising our city centre by making our streets busier for longer and increasing foot traffic on Bridge Street
• An improved commercial environment for businesses
• Supporting Council’s August 2022 severe weather event recovery effort by delivering three waters infrastructure to improve resilience in Nelson’s city centre
• Assisting in reducing Nelson’s carbon emissions by encouraging active travel (travelling by foot, bicycle, scooter etc).

Bridge Street is rich with history as it was one of the first commercial streets in the city.

On the street are historic kerbstones, which were crafted from boulders from the Boulder Bank. These kerbstones will be reused as part of the Bridge to Better project, to celebrate this historic element.

Construction on Bridge Street is due to start in late 2025 and expected to take two years. Other projects, not on Bridge Street, will likely start earlier.

Engagement on the Developed Design is under way. You can leave feedback here on Shape Nelson, or by emailing BridgetoBetter@ncc.govt.nz

The project aims to benefit the community in several ways.

• Creating more affordable city centre housing is a vital part of Nelson’s 10-year plan and has wide support from the community. To achieve this the city’s water infrastructure must be upgraded.
• By prioritising people, the project aims to create a safer and more enjoyable environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation users.
• The project also aims to improve the overall quality of life in the area by reducing traffic congestion, noise pollution, and air pollution.
• Creating the capacity for up to 1000 new homes in the city centre is also an opportunity to provide the commercial services those residents will require.

When completed Nelson’s city centre will benefit from the following stormwater improvements:

Increased stormwater capacity and treatment for Bridge Street west of Trafalgar Street, and the short section of Haven Rd between Rutherford and Bridge Streets.

Reduction in tidal inundation achieved through the installation of flood gates on stormwater outlets. This will make the City Centre more resilient to tidal flooding over the next 30 years.

It is possible that some roads may need to be temporarily closed or reconfigured as part of the construction phase of the project. However, the project aims to minimise disruption to traffic flow and provide alternative routes for drivers and pedestrians. The specific details of any road closures or reconfigurations will be communicated to the public in advance.

As part of the planning for the Bridge to Better project, Council staff have been speaking to a wide range of groups who are closely affected, including businesses on Bridge Street and will continue to do so as the design process is worked through. Everyone will have the opportunity to provide feedback throughout the process. It should be noted that there are many elements of this project that we are not able to offer community input on (the size of pipes and traffic modelling for instance), but in terms of the cultural look and feel of the street we have sought strong iwi and community and involvement.

Council will provide regular updates about the project's progress through various channels, including social media, newsletters, and public meetings.

The simplest way to keep up to date with the project will be our page on Shape Nelson. This will allow you to sign up to receive the latest updates on the project by email (just click follow on the project page).

Upgrading the piped water network (water, sewerage and stormwater), will do the following:

• Provides greater capacity across the entire network whilst also providing for the needs of up to 1000 extra homes in the City Centre.
• Takes pressure off the key city centre pump station (Vanguard Street) making this asset more resilient.
• Directly provides more capacity to approximately a third of Nelson Central area.
• Indirectly benefits a further third of the Nelson Central area by diverting flows from Vanguard pump station to Paru Paru pump station.
• Enhancing an existing asset (Paru Paru pump station) is more efficient than building a new pump station – makes good use of existing assets.
• Caters for future growth/intensification in Nelson Central.
• Provides high pressure water supply to enable developments to go higher than 3 storeys
• Futureproofs the Paru Paru Road wastewater pumpstation so that in high rainfall event wastewater overflows will no longer occur