New bridge to link Gate Pa and Bethlehem

An artist’s impression of the new bridge. Supplied image.

A new biking and walking link will connect Bethlehem and Gate Pa via a bridge across the Takitimu Drive toll road.

The new link will open in May 2018, says Tauranga City Council.

The first phase of work started this week to build a shared pathway that links from the future bridge site back into the Kopurererua walking and biking network.

A track closure is required during the pathway construction.

The pathway that runs along the western side of the Kopurerua Stream is currently closed 8am-5pm weekdays until December 22, and will be closed again 8am-5pm on weekdays from January 8 until the new path is completed in February.

The pathway on the eastern side of the stream will remain open.

The Takitimu Bridge will be assembled alongside the highway early next year before it is moved into position near Westridge Drive in April 2018.

The bridge design has had input from Tauranga City Council, Ngai Tamarawaho and the NZ Transport Agency.

The overall route will provide options for getting to school and work as well as recreational use.

A second, smaller bridge will be built over the Kopurerua Stream near Wylie Street. It will follow a similar design to existing bridges in the valley.

The two bridges and new pathway are a $3 million Urban Cycleways Programme project jointly funded by the Urban Cycleways Fund and Tauranga City Council.

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7 comments

Just wondering

Posted on 14-12-2017 16:59 | By old trucker

if they have thought about high wide loads, dont worry TCC about cars etc bikes have this over us, will user pay $1 each way to use it, just wondering.Thankyou 10-4 out. phew.


bridge to bethlehem

Posted on 14-12-2017 19:20 | By sharon69nz

@old trucker, cars already have a road, why should cyclists and people who only have a mobility scooter not be able to get out to bethlehem. I would love to be able to go to kmart but i need my scooter to get around. I would pay a toll like you suggested, not a problem


Cost per cyclist?

Posted on 14-12-2017 20:31 | By Cynical Me

If this bridge gets as much use as the one at Ohauiti then it will never wear out before it rusts away. This is an appalling waste of taxpayers money but that's ok, the socialist like spending opm.


Remember what?

Posted on 14-12-2017 23:36 | By MISS ADVENTURE

When did Council consult the public on that one? Yet another example of under the radar and a spend up of millions again for a few no toll paying walk-abouters.


@ MISS ADVENTURE

Posted on 16-12-2017 22:04 | By The Caveman

YES another MASSIVE spend up, DUMPED on the ratepayers under the radar with NO constitution with the RATEPAYERS. Got to be looking at $2.5 MILLION !!!! Who is actually running the council? The councillors or the FACELESS council employees who don't tell the so elected councillors where they are planning to SPEND MILLIONS of ratepayer $$$$$$$


me again

Posted on 16-12-2017 22:19 | By old trucker

Agree with MISS ADVENTURE, you are so right, this bridge would have been signed off months ago, and we have not been told, this would have taken months to design and build, that one at Ohauiti is a waste of money, and building that walkway over the swamp so bikes can go along and thousands of metres of concrete so they dont have to get their tyres dirty, for goodness sake why not just have a firm metal track that far out, imagine all that money put into roading, but bikes dont pay roadusers or nothing everything free, you wont see many people using it and all these expensive bridges is a laugh, how did people get on with them not there,this would have cost $THOUSANDS$$$$$ to design and build,(my thoughts only) $2million,with all the BLUDGERS FEES etc, anyway Sunlive is No1 for NEWS Thankyou, 10-4 out. phew.


Hopefully Tauranga Northern Arterial connected.

Posted on 18-12-2017 18:29 | By Murray.Guy

Please tell me that this investment has been located in such a way as to compliment the Tauranga Northern Arterial, which is very close to this area, and gets underway with earthworks shortly. That's $5 million spent on a couple of bridges which could have been prioritized to provide many kilometers of off-road safe cycling for commuters. Much of Papamoa Beach Rd is 'third world', Cameron Rd, a death trap.


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