page_title: Hamilton, New Zealand
section_title: Bridges
hierarchical_section_title: Hamilton, New Zealand / Transport / Road / Bridges
caption_attribution_description: English: Claudelands Bridge, Hamilton, NZ. Taken from just below the Bridge Street bridge.
context_page_description: Hamilton is a city in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat and most populous city of the Waikato region, with a territorial population of 169,300, the country's fourth most-populous city. Encompassing a land area of about 110 km² on the banks of the Waikato River, Hamilton is part of the wider Hamilton Urban Area, which also encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia, Te Awamutu and Cambridge.
  The area now covered by the city was originally the site of several Māori villages, including Kirikiriroa, from which the city takes its Māori name. By the time English settlers arrived, most of these villages, which sat beside the Waikato River, were abandoned as a result of the Invasion of Waikato and land-confiscation by the Crown.
  Initially an agricultural service centre, Hamilton now has a diverse economy and is the third fastest growing urban area in New Zealand, behind Pukekohe and Auckland. Hamilton Gardens is the region's most popular tourist attraction. Education and research and development play an important part in Hamilton's economy, as the city is home to approximately 40,000 tertiary students and 1,000 PhD-qualified scientists.
context_section_description: The six road bridges that cross the river are often the focus of morning and evening traffic delays. The six road bridges within the city are (from north to south):
  Pukete Bridge
  Fairfield Bridge
  Whitiora Bridge
  Claudelands Bridge
  Victoria Bridge
  Cobham Bridge
  In addition to the road bridges within the city, the Horotiu bridge is located approximately 10 km north of the city centre and the Narrows Bridge approximately 10 km to the south. The Narrows bridge was closed for reconstruction of its piles in September 2010. In Jan 2011 widening of the 1 km approach road Wairere Drive to Pukete bridge began. The bridge was expanded to 4 lanes in early 2013.
  The river is also crossed by a rail bridge and a pedestrian bridge:
  Claudelands Rail Bridge
  Pukete – Flagstaff Pedestrian / Sewer Bridge (see Sewage section below)
caption: Claudelands Bridge, Hamilton, NZ. Taken from just below the Bridge Street bridge.
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