Council approves $5.2m cycleway bridge over Wairoa River

Cyclist Nick Roozenburg is happy the council has finally approved consent for the Wairoa Bridge cycleway. Photo / Andrew Warner

By: Zoe HunterZoe is a reporter at the Bay of Plenty Timeszoe.hunter@nzme.co.nz@ Bay_Times

A “crucial” $5.2 million cycle bridge has been approved as part of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway.

Priority One’s latest figures show the Western Bay of Plenty District Council has issued a $5.2 million building consent for the clip-on cycle bridge over State Highway 2 at Te Puna.

The NZ Transport Agency confirmed the consent was for the Wairoa River bridge crossing, which was a key part of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway project.

The 19km-route will provide a link between Ōmokoroa and Tauranga City’s existing urban cycleway network for a safer alternative to the existing state highway corridor.

Plans to construct the cycle bridge were shelved in 2017 after the council deemed the project, which had an original estimated cost of $6.5m, no longer feasible due to higher than expected costs.

Western Bay District Council group manager of infrastructure services Gary 
Allis said the cycle trail to the Wairoa Bridge section will be on the river side of Te Puna Station Rd and travel under the rail bridge.

“It is expected to be a hub or a commencing point for the cycleway for recreational cyclists and for walkers accessing the riverside walkway,” he said.

Allis said the total cost of the $5.2m cycle bridge will include future proofing the new 140m cycleway bridge for a “second add-on”.

“Initially there will be only one side of the bridge with a cycleway,” he said. “Bridges of this nature are expensive.”

The gravel car park, cycle trail and initial plans were hoped to begin in the first quarter of 2019.

Allis said the council would release concept plans – being developed with Pirirakau hapu – for the bridge once they were put out for tender, which was expected to be soon.

Bike Tauranga chairman Kevin Kerr said the group had been advocating for the completion of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway for the last six months.

“It is a crucial link between the city,” he said. “Without that clip-on or getting cyclists safely across the bridge the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga link is really a waste of time because people can’t get across the bridge.”

Kerr said it was now up to the Tauranga City Council to “step up” and complete their end of the bargain by completing the cycleway from the bridge into the city.

Glen Crowther of the Sustainable Business Network supported the district council’s cycling initiatives.

“We think it is great they are giving an opportunity for people in that area to access places safely on a bike,” he said.

“The key thing is if it is a success, it will rely on the final link up through to the city.”

He understood the bridge crossing was always going to be the most expensive part of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga route, but said the new $5.2m cost was “more realistic”.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stan Gregec said the cycle bridge over the Wairoa River was what Tauranga needed.

“While better roads will always be a strong priority, we also need to encourage other modes of transport and cycling is an obvious one,” he said.

“Having a dedicated cycleway through Te Puna will also encourage more recreational cycling, and that can only be a good thing.”

Priority One projects manager Annie Hill said the new cycle bridge will be a great addition to the amenities of the area.

“Te Puna is an important community node in the Western Bay which will experience growth in the future,” she said.

Hill said cyclists should be able to cross the busy highway safely and the new cycleway was likely to encourage more people to consider alternative modes of transport.

Tauranga City Council transportation manager Martin Parkes said the council was working closely with the district council to complete cycleway.

“Tauranga City Council is committed to ensuring that the new cycleway links into the wider urban cycle network in the city,” he said.

Ōmokoroa to Tauranga Cycleway

– 19km link between Ōmokoroa and Tauranga City’s existing urban cycleway network

– Expected to attract 130-200 commuter cyclists a day, with a higher estimate for recreational users

– The trail is split into many stages with construction well underway

– The Wairoa River bridge crossing will now be a “clip-on” structure to the state highway bridge

– Estimated cost is $13m

– Funding is between NZ Transport Agency, Western Bay Council and Tauranga City Council – with additional community and third-party contributions including a $1million grant from TECT

Source: Western Bay of Plenty District Council