Colourful walking bridge to open over State Highway 36

The new footbridge connecting The Lakes and Tauranga Crossing is to open. Photo / Supplied

The new footbridge connecting The Lakes and Tauranga Crossing over State Highway 36 will be lit up in the colour kikorangi (blue).

Tauranga City Council consulted with mana whenua Ngāi Tamarawaho in choosing blue representing safety and a sentiment of welcome to all travellers passing the bridge either when leaving or arriving into the city.

67.5m of LED lights, that automatically switch on and off by a daylight sensor, have been installed on the steel truss of the overbridge structure.

These lights have a lifespan of more than 10 years.

The new bridge will allow people walking and biking between The Lakes and Tauranga Crossing to cross over the state highway safely.

The overbridge, jointly funded by the NZ Transport Agency and the council, was lifted into position last month and will connect to the existing bike/walking paths.

The council is working on the finishing touches of the bridge for it to open. This will be in the next couple of weeks, depending on the weather.