The bridge is formed with 2,650 tonnes of steel, was expected to be completed by mid 2024, at a cost of $160.2M, though budgeted at $135M in 2020, and formerly at $40M. The 4-lane bridge was designed by Bloxam Burnett & Olliver, and built by HEB Construction. It includes bus lanes and cycle paths, The river was closed to boats during construction. Both banks of the river were stabilised to support the bridge. The north bank, next to the bridge abutments, has a 50-degree slope, rising , or , and was stabilised with
soil nails. The total length of the bridge is , including the
mechanically stabilised earth wall of the southern bridge abutment, which is on compressible, loose
Taupō Pumice alluvial soils, formed of
weathering steel, in two
lattice-shaped, Y sections, each weighing over 200 tonnes. The lattice is made up of box-section welded plates. They were lifted into position by a 600-tonne crane. The bridge was designed to minimise its impact on 54 rest sites of the
critically endangered long-tailed bat (pekapeka-touroa), including 30 new roost boxes on trees, with metal bands above and below them to keep predators out, use of
warm LED lighting, a shallow bridge profile and removal of vegetation below the bridge so they can fly under, creation of a tree canopy to keep them away from traffic and
predator control to protect, bats,
copper skinks, native birds and the new trees. The bridge was opened by
Paula Southgate and
Simeon Brown, though the plaque on the bridge also records the name of
Kīngi Tūheitia, who died on the morning of the bridge opening. ==Awards==