Infrastructure Strategy Roads of service for the roads and bridges will be adjusted to meet the new realities of road users. For Marlborough to achieve its vision for the future the infrastructure must be sufficient There is an increasing demand for freight haulage. The success of Marlborough wines, and functioning at the same time as being achievable and sustainable with the timber production and the region’s growing reputation as a tourist destination are all resources available generating growth for road services. Roading Goals While tourists and freight operators share the same network, they travel in different The roading infrastructure will reliably, efficiently and safely connect communities ways. Freight trips are often longer, time critical journeys while tourist journeys can be within Marlborough; connect Marlborough to wider New Zealand and provide safe less time constrained with multiple stops. Both journey types need to be adequately transit for visitors passing through the region. provided for. The road transport network will support economic growth through better access on key 1. Specific challenges routes 1.1 Renewals Increase the resilience of the roading infrastructure to natural hazards to provide a safe Ageing bridges and reliable transport system Marlborough has 64 timber bridges, the highest number in New Zealand. A significant Introduction number of these were built in the 1940-1960s era. These bridges have reached or are approaching the end of their useful life and some have had weight or speed restrictions The Council is responsible for the management of a transportation network that imposed. Renewals are currently keeping pace with deterioration of timber structures. comprises 1547km of roads (917km sealed and 630km unsealed). However from 2045 onwards funding of bridge renewals will need to increase to avoid further weight restrictions in the future. This is Council’s largest infrastructure asset. The affordability of renewals is particularly an issue for roads, which have the highest replacement value ($725 Older structures from the 1910-1930s era are also due for replacement. They were million). Approximately $9.18 million has to be spent each year to address the effects designed for lighter loads, and although many of them were robustly built, they now of deterioration of the roads, bridges and associated assets. To achieve this, renewals have age-related condition issues. are phased to ensure all areas are addressed on a cyclical basis based on the level of traffic they receive and technical review by engineering staff. Constraints on capital expenditure have led to ongoing maintenance of these bridges (often with speed or load restrictions in place) until such time that cost benefit analysis The Marlborough roads traverse some difficult terrain and this has influenced the indicates replacement is the more viable option. design and character of the transport system. Roads tend to be long and narrow, with few alternate options in many cases. Our roads are vulnerable to flooding and slips, as The three main causes of damage to bridges are weather, vehicle damage, and well as tidal inundation in the Sounds. As people and businesses become increasingly overloading. Due to the potential consequences, including high exposure of Council to reliant on reliable transportlinks, buildingresilience against the uncertainties of liability if a bridge fails, bridge assets are identified as high risk when nearing the end climate change and large earthquakeswill be a key challenge for this asset. of their useful life. In future years the rural population and smaller townships are projected to decline. Industry needs Changing demographics mean there will be a larger number of older people within the population which will increase the demand for better access and dedicated routes The growing demand from the dairy, forestry and aquaculture sectors to use larger for mobility scooters and spaces to park them. Nuisance from dust on unsealed rural trucks with heavier loads is an issue for the weight bearing capacity of bridges, roads, and waterway contamination at the numerous remaining fords, are emerging particularly for timber bridges. However, the upgrading/renewal of bridges to carry challenges, along with the need for continuous improvement in road safety.The level heavier vehicles are a major cost. 2018-2028 Long Term Plan Page 180