AA South Canterbury district council chairman Antoni Facey said the bridge — on SH79 — had become a major choke point for traffic.
Mr Facey said on average, 3686 vehicles used the bridge each day as it was a freight route and a reasonably popular tourist route.
"It’s also a resilience issue because SH79 is often used as a detour when other routes get flooded out.
"This often boils over into frustration and unsafe behaviour — which is the last thing we need on a state highway.
"Putting signals at either end of the bridge to control traffic will allow traffic to move over the bridge efficiently and safely.
"Ideally the bridge would be two lanes, but we recognise there is economic life left in the current one.
"Until NZTA can justify building a new bridge, the best option is traffic signals. Traffic signals will provide definitive priority and take out the guesswork for drivers which could lead to dangerous situations or blockages.
"It is likely that many tourists will never have had to deal with a single-lane bridge before they come across this one."
The challenges with having a single-lane bridge on SH79 had been well-documented by roading authorities and replacing the 250-metre span with a double-laned one had been mooted for many years.
"Getting two lanes across the Orari is likely years away, so getting the signals permanently installed as soon as possible is critical until the bridge can be double-laned. South Canterbury and neighbouring regions are growing — more people are relying on this highway to be resilient, efficient and safe."
He said there was support in the community to improve the crossing, including that of Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen, who had also endorsed traffic signals until a new bridge could be built.
— APL
