Walkway project work steps up
The Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway/walkway project has 25 stages with many now complete.
The 19km route, made up of both new and existing off-road shared paths and local road connections, will provide a link between the growing township of Omokoroa and Tauranga City’s existing urban cycleway network.
This is a high profile project for the region with significant community support, including contributions from the Tauranga Round Table and other potential external investors, as well as assistance from project partners PowerCo and KiwiRail.
Starting at the south end of The Esplanade, near the Omokoroa beach the cycleway runs along an existing track via Cooney Reserve to Tinopai Reserve which includes a completed boardwalk and widened gravel path. Section 2 from Lynley Park to Tinopai Drive was officially opened in July 2017. Section 3 from Lynley Park to the railway (Tamihana Park) section is under design. This section will connect just before Lynley Park, changing direction to cross an elevated crossing (design not yet concluded) below the stormwater pond. It then follows an old farm track around the historic Mangawhai Pa before rejoining and finishing at the railway end of Lynley Park Drive. An archaeological authority from Heritage NZ is required, and is being applied for before this section can be constructed.
There are three main bridges in the project. Construction of the new bridge 1 across the Mangawhai Creek to Tamihana Park was completed in June last year. Trail surfacing has been completed but the route remains closed until a retaining wall structure to protect the railway embankment beside the cycleway bridge is finished — the design of this is working through an approval process with KiwiRail and construction of it is now not expected until early this year.
Bridge 2 at the end of Jess Rd was completed in March last year. The trail eventually crosses over the end of Jess Rd before connecting to cycleway bridge 3 over the Te Puna Estuary. Fence gates and concrete surfacing at the south end of Jess Rd will complete this section early this year.
Construction of bridge 3 is complete minus the approach ramp, overhead protection screens (the design of which is working through a KiwiRail approval process) and path connections. The path remains closed until everything is finished and the KiwiRail lease agreement in place.
The final sections 24 and 25 — a new clip-on to the Wairoa Bridge and concrete pathway to Carmichael Rd in Tauranga City — are still to be built. Tenders for the design and construction of this new bridge clip-on have closed and are being evaluated. Construction timing will depend on the outcome of this process.
Due to the clip-on bridge design change, the cycleway will now continue along SH2 to connect to the city network at Carmichael Rd. This route, as well as being shorter than originally planned, provides a safer connection to Bethlehem, because SH2 does not need to be crossed. It features a 3m wide concrete path, separated from SH2 traffic.