The Old Mangere Bridge, which crosses the Manukau Harbour and is one of Auckland's oldest transport connections, is to be replaced.
The historic bridge, linking Onehunga and Mangere Bridge, opened 97 years ago, in 1915. It replaced a wooden, one-way structure and is believed to be the oldest reinforced concrete bridge crossing a New Zealand harbour. When the new motorway across the harbour opened in 1983, the Old Mangere Bridge was closed to all traffic except walkers and cyclists and became a popular fishing spot.
Now the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Auckland Council plan to replace the old bridge within the next five years.
NZTA's acting state highways manager for Auckland and Northland, Steve Mutton, says the bridge has been a great servant to the Auckland community but needs to be replaced with a safer connection.
"We are mindful of the bridge's role as a connection between communities and as a recreational facility enjoyed by many, and we are committed to maintaining all those amenities when the replacement is constructed," he says.
The agency is asking for feedback from the public, to better understand how the bridge is used and how residents would like to use its replacement.
Mr Mutton says some broad design elements have been set to help guide the consultation process. A replacement bridge will be 6m wide to accommodate cyclists, walkers and fishers and will be built in the same general location as the existing bridge, with access for boats to pass beneath it.
The reason for replacement is its safety, something that has in the past been commented on by locals. Back in 2006 Mangere resident Ray Clough told The Aucklander he used to fish there but stopped.
''Once the structure started to sag I stopped fishing there purely because it was unsafe," he said.
Mr Mutton says once the first round of community consultation is completed, a business case for the bridge replacement will be developed. A tender to design the replacement and an application for funding to construct it will be made in 2013 with construction scheduled to begin late next year or early in 2014 and completed in 2015 in time for the centenary of the opening of the Old Mangere Bridge.
There will be community open days at the Waterfront Road Reserve, Mangere Bridge, from 10am to 2pm on August 11 and 12 so people can have their say and find out more about the project.
A newsletter with a feedback form is also being distributed to people living at both ends of the old bridge.
People can also enter feedback online at www.nzta.govt.nz/oldmangerebridge. For more information email oldmangerebridge@nzta.govt.nz, or call (09) 969 9800.
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