The Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway runs as far as Wairoa Bridge before it stops on SH2. Photo / George Novak
The Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway runs as far as Wairoa Bridge before it stops on SH2. Photo / George Novak
Years after a more than $13 million cycleway linking Ōmokoroa to Tauranga stalled due to safety concerns, a resolution has finally been found.
The cycleway was meant to have been finished in November 2019 but its final leg on State Highway 2 near Bethlehem has hung in limbo ever since.
The cycleway spans 19km from Ōmokoroa harbour to Wairoa Bridge, and the Bay of Plenty Times can reveal work is under way to finish the rest.
The project was expected to continue from the bridge, along State Highway 2 to Carmichael Rd with hopes it would become a major link in a network running from Waihī to Maketū, and eventually Rotorua.
The final leg stalled after local Māori and landowners highlighted dangers with accessways on SH2. The concerns prompted years of discussion between local councils and hapu Ngati Kahu. The parties have now come to an "in-principle agreement".
The cycleway will now continue but on the other side of the SH2.
Tauranga City Council director of transport Brendan Bisley. Photo / NZME
Tauranga City Council director of Transport Brendan Bisley said the two-way cycleway will run from Wairoa Bridge, along the southern side of SH2, towards Carmichael Rd where a controlled pedestrian crossing will be installed.
"The only reason we've been able to achieve this outcome is NZTA Waka Kotahi are proposing to install a 50km/h speed limit from the bridge. The slower speed limit allows the cycleway with the crossing to be in that section of State Highway 2."
The signalised crossing was unlikely to be installed before March next year, he said.
Bisley said the crossing would be set up to have "minimal impact" on the heavy morning and afternoon traffic vehicle traffic flow.
"And obviously, when the Takitimu North Link (TNL) is open in the future it will have an even less impact on traffic."
The first $655m stage of the TNL will be a new four-lane expressway running 6.8km from Tauranga's Takitimu Drive toll road to Te Puna.
"Ultimately we will build a new clip-on bridge on the upstream side of the river . . . that was always the plan," Bisley said.
"Until we are able to build that new clip-on bridge we have been talking to hapū about using some of their land to allow cyclists to go under the bridge and onto the other side. At the moment, we have an in-principle agreement."
State Highway 2, outside Wairoa Marae, is busy with traffic and has been the subject of concern at plans for a cycleway to run alongside it. Photo / George Novak
Bisley said it was important to reduce the number of "conflict points" and the original design simply had too many. The risk from these was exacerbated by the sloping hill between Carmichael Rd and the bridge, he said.
"If we kept it on the marae side, there are quite a few points where cyclists would have conflict with cars. The other side is a lot safer."
Bisley said the pedestrian crossing and cycleway was not expected to blow the budget but the specifics of how much the total project would now cost was unclear due to a change last year that say Tauranga City Council take over leadership of the project from the Western Bay of Plenty District Council.
The cycleway's budget was previously $13.4m. This was reported last year to have grown to $14.08m, including $300,000 in Covid-19 related costs.
Asked for an updated budget last week, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council said it was $13.3m, of which about $1m was unspent.
Waka Kotahi was covering 51 per cent of the cost. Other project partners include the councils, TECT, New Zealand Community Trust and Omokoroa Community Board.
Ngati Kahu, of Ngati Ranginui iwi, is the primary hapu affiliated with Wairoa Marae.
In a statement, Ngati Kahu said it was working "constructively and in good faith with Tauranga City Council to establish the cycleway in a manner focussing on safety for the whole community".
"To that end, the progress we have achieved together will see a satisfactory outcome for all parties in the very near future.
Cycle Action Tauranga chairman Kevin Kerr says a new design enabling the completion of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway comes as a 'huge relief'. Photo / George Novak
"We thank Tauranga City Council for the pragmatic way in which they have approached safety for the cycleway with Ngati Kahu."
Cycle Action Tauranga chairman Kevin Kerr said the new design, enabling the completion of the cycleway, was a "huge relief".
He said the existing cycleway was not safe and there had been "many near accidents", prompting the need for urgency to complete the final section.
"The completion of this 800m section provides a vital link to achieving a safe and functional connection from Bethlehem, through the city and out east to Pāpāmoa and beyond," he said.
"Talks are already under way with other councils in the wider Bay of Plenty region to establish a connected regional trails network that will bring huge benefits to local tourism."
Transport agency regional manager of maintenance and operations Rob Campbell said providing easy access to safe shared paths was important to encourage more people to walk and cycle, which also helped to reduce carbon emissions.
The Western Bay and Tauranga area was growing fast and more cycleways offered more transport choices for people, he said.
The agency plans to invest $910m over the next three years on shared pathways, bike routes and walkways around New Zealand. This included $57m for Tauranga.
