Raglan Town2Surf cycleway connecting town with beach set to open in June

The Raglan Wharf has received an upgrade, including a new pontoon (pictured on the left). Photo / Waikato District Council

Pedestrians and cyclists wanting to go from Raglan’s town centre to Ngarunui Beach will soon be able to do so safely as the Town2Surf cycleway is nearing completion.

The shared path will then connect the town centre with Wainui Reserve via the pedestrian overbridge at Papahua Campground, the Marine Parade and Wainui Road. At the reserve, existing footpaths lead to Ngarunui Beach and the popular Te Ara Kakariki mountain bike track.

The Waikato District Alliance was on-site recently to install new drainage systems on both sides of Wainui Road. The next step is to prepare a new kerb and channel on both sides of the road.

After the kerb is poured, Waikato District Council contractors will remove the old footpath and install the new one. All going well, the Town2Surf cycleway will be completed in June.

The council says the cycleway will reduce traffic congestion on Wainui Road and free up parking space at the reserve and in town.

The path is also said to improve the beach’s accessibility for people who come to Raglan via public transport and make cycling and walking safer along the way due to the separation of the path and the road.

Meanwhile, the Whaingaroa [Raglan] Wharf upgrade is also close to completion.

The new pontoon and gangway have been fabricated off-site and were installed at the end of March. Council contractors also finished pouring concrete for the seawall, kerbing on the eastern walkway and the kayak ramp and stairs.

The final touches still to be completed are final surface finishes, like laying the asphalt for the eastern walkway, the installation of solar-powered lighting along the gangway and piles of the pontoon and new handrails on Dolphin Pier, as well as on the eastern and western sides of the wharf.

The council expects to complete work by early June and open the wharf to the community shortly after.