Bridge Street is being transformed. From the pipes below ground to the paving under your feet, the Bridge to Better project is an investment in Nelson’s transport, three‑waters infrastructure and public spaces that reflect Whakatū Nelson’s unique identity. We have been breaking down the new design for Bridge Street through a series of stories highlighting its key elements and how these changes will support future city growth.

This second part of the series looks at essential infrastructure upgrades that will strengthen the resilience of our city’s water network and support housing growth.

When the work on Bridge Street is finished, the changes will run deeper than paving and planting - upgraded infrastructure below the street will form a foundation for Nelson’s growth.

Century‑old pipes are being replaced with upgraded water and wastewater infrastructure that will meet the demands of our growing city. Other underground services, such as electricity cables, will be positioned away from these services so they are not interrupted while the work is carried out.

Group Manager Infrastructure Alec Louverdis says the underground works are vital to ensuring Nelson is future ready.

“These upgrades don’t just serve the city as it is now; they create the capacity to build hundreds more homes and make city centre living feasible and more attractive, two things that are key to our future success. The opportunity we have been granted by this $36 million Government funding to deliver this work before the end of 2027 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to future-proof our city centre for decades to come.”

New drinking water mains will ensure the network can accommodate future city centre growth. At the top end of Bridge Street, between Trafalgar and Collingwood Streets, the heritage brick-lined sewer will be repurposed for stormwater, preserving the structure while integrating it into the modern network.

Wastewater pipes are also being renewed and upsized to handle more flow, supported by an upgrade to the Paru Paru Road wastewater pump station. The stormwater network will be replaced with larger pipes and a new floodgate at Saltwater Creek to keep high tides and storm surges from pushing water back into the streets.

As part of the wider Bridge to Better programme, work on a new water supply ring main has already been completed along Bridge Street East, Halifax and Collingwood Streets, that will improve water pressure, reliability and resilience across the city centre, supporting both current demand and future growth.

These upgrades aren’t just about replacing what’s there. They are key to creating the capacity for more new homes in the city centre, with room for up to 1000 across the wider city over time. This is important as Nelson’s housing needs grow and housing affordability becomes a greater challenge.

The project is also finding ways to carry parts of Bridge Street’s history forward. In addition to retaining parts of the heritage sewer, the streets historic kerbstones will be repurposed as part of the flush delineator bands in the new street layout, retaining them on Bridge Street to help ensure the carriageway is marked as separate from the pedestrian area without the use of a raised kerb.

To better manage and improve water quality before it even reaches the drains, the street design also includes 14 Filterra raingardens. This planter system filters pollutants, slows stormwater runoff and lets cleaner water soak into the drainage network. Helping to improve the quality of the water running into Maitai River as well as assisting the stormwater system during heavy rain.