Queenstown Lakes District Council is presenting a case for a new two-lane bridge across the Kawarau River.
In a statement presented to the Transport Agency, the council said the current one-lane bridge on State Highway Six to Invercargill is a nightmare for residents and tourists alike.
Transport manager Denis Mander said delays of up to an hour are experienced in peak times.
He said this is stiffling economic activity and may pose a threat to emergency vehicles trying to get to the suburbs of Kelvin Heights and Jacks Point.
NZTA has said the bridge should be replaced, but not until later this decade.
The bridge was built 80 years ago.
