The Otago regional transport committee on Tuesday agreed to contact its Southland counterpart, seeking a "collaborative approach" to the funding of a new $20 million Kawarau Falls bridge near Frankton.
A draft letter from Otago committee chairman Stephen Woodhead, tabled at the meeting, noted the New Zealand Transport Agency had already committed funds for the bridge's design.
The agency had indicated construction would probably be in 2016-17, if approved.
If the two committees worked together, there might be "an opportunity to bring this construction date forward", the letter said.
A first step would be investigating, together, the potential to jointly fund construction.
The Otago committee approved the sending of the submission to the Southland regional transport programme 2012-15.
Fraser McRae, the Otago Regional Council director, policy and resource planning, said the bridge provided a key transport link between Southland and Otago. He noted in an interview the Canterbury Regional Council, in its own transport plan, had earmarked funding towards a new bridge at Kurow.
The Canterbury plan had also acknowledged the strategic value to the Canterbury region of some other key bridges elsewhere in Otago, including the Balclutha bridge, he said.
