Kia ora koutou and welcome to NZTA's first newsletter for 2026.

This year marks a big step forward for the Second Ashburton Bridge project. We’re gearing up for construction, and a lot of the work happening now is about setting the project up well so the main build can start smoothly.

It’s an exciting phase - all the planning you’ve been hearing about will start shifting into visible activity on the ground soon.

We remain on track to start construction in the coming months.

Read on to find out what's been happening and what's coming up.

What we’ve been working on

We’ve been progressing the project design, planning how construction will be staged, and identifying materials we can order early so the build isn’t held up down the track.

We’ve also been working through the consents process and preparing the associated management plans that set out how we’ll manage the effects of construction, from protecting the river environment and native wildlife, to keeping people connected to community facilities like the river tracks.

This includes plans to keep dust and truck movements low, and rules around work hours to minimise day to day disruption for nearby residents. This behind-the-scenes work is a big part of delivering the project.

Tree removal and early enabling works

Last year we kicked off some early enabling works, including the test pile and initial tree removal.

If you live near the project, you might notice more tree removal over the coming weeks. This is linked to our ecological work, including safely relocating native lizards before construction begins.

You may also start to see 1.2 metre high concrete survey pillars being installed along parts of the alignment.

These pillars act as permanent reference points for our surveyors, helping the team map the site accurately, check levels and set out the exact locations for future structures. You might have already seen some of the survery team out on site (see above).

Over the coming weeks, the team will also start installing cameras on site. These are for site security and to document construction progress — including a time lapse camera — so we can safely manage the area and share the project’s progress with you. They’ll be removed when the project is completed.

Local signage

Ashburton District Council has put up project signs on Grahams Road, Johnstone Street, Wilkins Road and Carters Terrace, to show the approximate location of the new connecting road.

Coming soon: 2AB Project Office

We’re in the process of setting up a new project office on State Highway 1, near Café Time (keep an eye out for more details soon). We’ll also have small satellite offices along the alignment to support day to day construction activity.

The main office will be a base for the team, but they’ll often be away and out on site, so we’ll plan set drop-in times when people can come and speak to them.

Of course, there will also be plenty of information online on our project page, and in this regular e-newsletter.

We’re also looking at when to hold our next community open day. We’ll share details once a date is confirmed.

More information

We're here to help. If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone about this work, please contact us:

Phone: 027 257 2249
Email the team: 2AB@nzta.govt.nz

For more information about the project, and to sign up for regular e-newsletters, visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/2AB