Final section of Te Awa River Ride cycle path under construction

A section of the new Te Awa cycleway being constructed by Waipā District Council. Photo / Supplied

The Hamilton to Cambridge section of Te Awa River Ride is making great strides in the Waipā district, with the cycleway construction well under way.

Waipā District Council's contractor Civil Construction Services, a local Cambridge firm, has built around 10 per cent of the new cycleway adjacent to St Peter's School.

The council's service delivery group manager, Dawn Inglis, says the cycleway section covers varied terrain so it required a range of construction methods.

"The cycleway passes through a range of steep slopes and other difficult-to-access spots, each with their own unique requirements, so we're using a mixture of concrete path, boardwalks and bridges where appropriate. The team are working in some tough areas to access so are doing well to have made so much progress already," says Dawn.

Dawn says having low ongoing maintenance costs for the section was a key factor in using high-quality materials and construction from the outset.

"We're investing in good-quality ground preparations and materials, with a particular focus on getting foundations right to help reduce the ongoing costs which are met by the ratepayers over the lifetime of the asset."

The Waipā section of Te Awa Cycleway is well under way. Photo / Supplied

Once completed, the Waipā section of Te Awa River Ride will take riders through bush and across farmlands, with views over the Waikato River.

The Hamilton to Cambridge section is the final section of the ride, which will provide a 60km designated cycle path from Ngāruawāhia to Lake Karapiro.

The final section of Te Awa was one of the shovel-ready projects that received funding of $8.2 million from the Infrastructure Industry Reference Group, supported by Crown Infrastructure Partners.

The Hamilton to Cambridge section will be built by Waipā District, Waikato District and Hamilton City councils and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, as it crosses each territorial boundary.

Photos of progress on the Waipa cycleway section can be viewed on the council's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WaipaDistrictCouncil.