Old road put to new use

The old State Highway 5 route near Tamaki Village will soon be back in use - but it will be cyclists, rather than motorists, having to contend with the corners.

A lease agreement has been signed between the Rotorua District Council and the Tumunui Trust to use the 2km section of decommissioned road on the Te Ara Ahi (Go Thermal By Bike) National Cycleway.

The signing is another milestone in the project, which will run from Rotorua to Waiotapu.

"It's only 2km of cycleway but it's an important link," said Rotorua district councillor Dave Donaldson, who is on the cycleway advisory group.

"It also enhances the whole experience. They're riding in a scenic, rural environment away from traffic and it's a piece of history. It used to be challenging in a car with all the bends."

He said the section ran along the back boundary of the Tumunui Trust and was a section where grass didn't grow very well so made it ideal for the cycleway. It will be fenced to keep stock off.

Work has resumed on the first section of cycleway, from Waipa Mill Rd to Eight Mile Gate Rd. This will be concreted and the next section will be sealed to reduce maintenance costs. This section is expected to be finished by May next year.

The Tumunui Trust section will start from Highlands Loop Rd and exit onto Waimangu Rd. The lease agreement was signed at the Te Runanga Tearooms in the Government Gardens last Tuesday.

The Rainbow Mountain and Kerosene Creek portions of the cycleway are in the design process and have yet to go out for consultation. The final part of the project will be an underpass at Waiotapu.

"As much as possible we've tried to keep the cycleway off road," Mr Donaldson said. "This [deal] was a short ceremony but an important link in the cycleway."