Four potential bridge options in Cambridge will be investigated further for Waipā District Council’s draft Cambridge Connections Transport Plan.

Six community-proposed locations were put forward for investigation at Waipā District Council’s Strategic Planning and Policy Committee on Wednesday.

An eastern bridge linking Maungatautari and Tirau Roads, and a far-west bridge linking Cambridge and Kaipaki Roads, were ruled out.

The four options for further investigation are:

• A new crossing west of the town belt – linking Matos Segedin Drive to Cambridge Road
• A new bridge in town
• Additional bridge capacity at another location
• Increasing capacity of existing bridges.

The decision was shaped by workshop discussions with elected members, the Cambridge Community Board and the Cambridge Connections Community Reference Group.

Between August and September, the community will be invited to review the technical findings. Public feedback will help shape preferred options and initiatives for the draft transport plan. A further round of community consultation will be held in October, once the committee endorses a draft transport plan for public consultation.

The committee also asked staff to consider how congestion might be eased without building a bridge. The long list assessment had initially ruled out further consideration of a parking building but following feedback from the Community Reference Group, the committee also agreed to leave this idea in the mix.

Extending Victoria Street’s protected cycleway across the Waikato River into Leamington and improving safe cycling, walking and micromobility links between schools were also approved.