Tākaka shared path opened
A new footbridge and shared path on SH60 between Tākaka, the Golden Bay Community Health Centre, and the popular Paines Ford recreation area was opened by Mayor Tim King recently.
Funded by Waka Kotahi, the 2.5km path will provide a safer environment for people who walk, bike and scoot this busy stretch of highway. It will be sealed for 2km between Tākaka and the Community Health Centre, and then unsealed to Paines Ford.
The project included the replacement of an old footbridge, which was too steep and narrow to be used by mobility scooters or by children on small-wheeled scooters. It was also difficult for people with push-chairs and less fit cyclists – sometimes forcing them onto the state highway alongside motorists, including heavy vehicles and campervans.
It is expected that the path will encourage locals to use different types of transport.