Te Awa River Path in Hamilton opens after 2.4km fix

Hamilton mayor Paula Southgate and deputy mayor Geoff Taylor trying out the Te Awa River Path after its reopening. Photo / Supplied

A section of the Te Awa River Path in Hamilton is open again after two years of being closed because it was unsafe.

At a ceremony to officially open the path on Monday, mayor Paula Southgate said she was "absolutely thrilled" the path was open in time for summer.

"The river ride path is one of Hamilton's most popular outdoor spaces and these repairs have been a long time coming – too long. It's fabulous to see this section finally back up and running in time for the warmer months and it means I can use my electric bike more which is brilliant," she said.

The Te Awa River Ride is a 70km path following the Waikato River from Ngaruawahia to Horahora.

As part of the path, the section between London St and Bryce St was closed in mid-2018 after slips made the path unstable.

Funded in partnership with Hamilton City Council, Waka Kotahi (NZTA) and the Provincial Development Unit, the project included more than 2.4 kilometres of enhancements on the western side of the river.

The project is focused on embracing the natural environment and opening up the city to the river. A total of 50 redeployed workers put in more than 15,000 plants.

Also, Waikato-Tainui iwi contributed to a series of road ready training courses offered by council contractor Downer to ensure the remediation work would focus on local cultural knowledge and practices too.

"There have been a lot of wins from this project and the fact that the costs were shared between three partners is one of them. But it's also been great to see 50 people employed and gaining skills that some of them are already using in new jobs," Southgate said.

The five-month project also helped Hamilton City Council win a national infrastructure award for Excellence in Social Impact. The award was presented as part of a major symposium on rebuilding the country from the impacts of Covid-19.

Deputy mayor Geoff Taylor said the river paths offered users a safe network for alternative transport and provided a vital link to the central city.

"It's part of a much wider programme of work to enhance the city and turn it around to face the river, as it should."