Ashburton's incoming second bridge is being viewed as an economic lifeline for the South Island. 

Work on the project will begin in 2026. 

The Government will pay for its construction while the district council will foot the bill for the joining road. 

Business Canterbury Chief Executive Leeann Watson says the current bridge has been washed away multiple times. 

She told Heather du Plessis-Allan that significant volumes of freight pass through Ashburton daily. 

Watson says it goes up to the Christchurch Airport and Lyttelton Port, so a bridge closure makes things difficult for businesses. 

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