After the indignity of being labelled a "zombie town" Whanganui is now experiencing a growth spurt that has seen it fall victim to that most metropolitan of scourges, traffic congestion.

And one pinch-point raises the hackles more than most, the more than 100-year-old Dublin Street Bridge.

Opened to trams, vehicles and pedestrians in 1914 the historic two-lane steel bridge connects State Highways 3 and 4 via central Whanganui.

It cost the princely sum of $75,000, took two and a half years to build and contains 1000 tonnes of steel and 30 tonnes of rivets.

But controlled via roundabouts at each end, the Dublin Street Bridge is struggling with the 5000 new residents Whanganui has attracted over the past few years

Whanganui Mayor, Hamish McDouall, told Andrew Dickens that there are a number of factors contributing to the congestion.

"It's an old bridge, it's a narrow bridge and it also services a good connection between state highway 3 and 4."

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