Brigham Creek Bridge has been an ongoing health and road accident hazard for local Whenuapai and Kumeu residents for many years. With Auckland Council’s upgrade to Whenuapai suburb to intensify housing and increase urbanization, local transport and roads are not catching up soon enough to accommodate the larger population and the safety required for these residents.

Local residents have witnessed many accidents on the bridge over the past few years as there are more residents who need to use the bridge. The tragic accident on the 9th of July have caused a young couple to die on the scene and now leaving behind two broken families with unrecoverable losses and are scarred for life. Here’s the NZ Herald link to this devastating accident: Two people dead in serious crash between car and truck at Whenuapai, West Auckland

The local Member of Parliament for Kaipara Ki Mahurangi Chris Penk had organized on site meetings with Waka Kotahi (NZ Transport Agency) and Auckland Transport in the last few years to discuss work that can be done to improve road safety for drivers and local residents but there neither Waka Kotahi nor Auckland Transport have taken any actions. So may we ask, how many deaths do one have to see before any actions will be taken? We have full support from MP Chris Penk to raise this petition and demanding immediate improvements to the road safety and we will work together to communicate with Waka Kotahi and Auckland Transport again. 

The local residents are frequent users of the Brigham Creek Bridge as it’s the only route connecting to the main roads and the next alternative route is at least another 6kms away. The Brigham Creek Bridge cannot tolerate two trucks crossing at the same time because two cars would already make it quite challenging and scary for the drivers! Let alone there are very limited warning signs, poor visibility at night with just one street light on the bridge,  80km/h speed limit leading up to the bridge!

What can happen immediately to improve safety:

1. Reduce speed limit 
2. Install more street lights for visibility at night and during poor weather, leading up to the bridge on both ends
3. Install warning signs 
4. Add speed bumps leading up to the bridge on both ends

Longer term solutions:

1. Put on speed cameras to enforce reduction of driving speed
2. Widen the bridge
3. Add new and alternative route

We care about this because we and our family and friends live in this local area, we frequently use this bridge, we or our family or friends could be next to be involved with accidents on the Brigham Creek Bridge so we are not going to count on luck, we demand a change!