Western Bay of Plenty Council have announced that the cycle way between the end of Lynley Park Drive and Plummers Point is temporarily closed from yesterday Friday June 28.

The Council say this is to enable retaining wall construction works on the railway embankment beside the cycle way bridge.

The track may be closed for up to two weeks and access through the construction area is not permitted during this time.

A formal public opening of this section is expected between late July and August with other off-road sections opening in September and October.

The entire 19km Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway route will be made up of both new and existing off-road shared paths and local road connections, and will provide a link between the growing township of Omokoroa and Tauranga City's existing urban cycleway network.

The trail is split into many stages but construction is now well underway. Omokoroa to the Wairoa River is expected to be completed sometime between July and September 2019 and the new Wairoa River bridge crossing 'clip-on” structure to the State Highway Bridge before Christmas 2019.

Wairoa Bridge - Cycle way Clip-on concept (Note - colour to be confirmed)

Due to high costs of the originally proposed 'iconic Wairoa Bridge', this section will now feature the construction of a composite and steel clip-on structure 2.15m wide mounted to the harbour side of the State Highway 2 bridge across the Wairoa River.

Wairoa Bridge site

This design allows for another clip-on to be constructed on the upstream side of the bridge in the future. The successful contractor for this clip-on is Brian Perry Civil and completion is expected in December 2019.

Looking towards the railway from Lynley Park

The construction at Section 3, which is Lynley Park to the railway at Tamihana Park, has been delayed pending archaeological authority processes and bridge design requirements. Cyclists are advised to use the alternative route to follow Lakeside Terrace to Lynley Park Drive, before connection to the next section.

When eventually completed, this section will connect just before Lynley Park, changing direction to cross a waterway below the storm-water pond. It then follows an old farm track around the historic Mangawhai Pa before re-joining and finishing at the railway end of Lynley Park Drive.

Section 5 which is the new bridge across Mangawhai Creek has been completed but remains closed until repairs have been finished. It is anticipated that this cycle way bridge across the Mangawhai Estuary will be opened in late July.

Section 6, which is 760 metres long and starts at the end of the new bridge, follows the harbour's edge and esplanade reserve until it reaches Huharua Park, Plummers Point.

Pats Lane cycle way construction

Construction of Section 6, which is nearly complete, has included cutting a new bench-line through the steeper ground in front of the Pats Lane community to provide a gentler gradient through this section as well as some screening to the close residential properties. Surplus earth removed has been used to help form the trail along this stretch of shoreline.

The small bridge installed to link the esplanade reserve with Huharua Park has been temporarily removed for erosion repairs and will be reinstalled once the trail is ready to open.

Section 6A is on private property and isn't open to the public year. It will provide a shorter more direct route to Plummers Point Rd and has been enabled through a private property subdivision beside the railway. Transfer of land ownership has not yet concluded which is why public access is not yet permitted.

The estimated cost of the cycle way has risen to $13,400,000. Funding is between NZ Transport Agency, Western Bay Council and Tauranga City Council, with additional community and third party contributions including a $1million grant from TECT.

It is envisaged that the cycle way will provide a much safer alternative to the existing state highway corridor, where heavy and high volume traffic is suppressing demand for cycling. This scenic new route is designed to encourage more walking and cycling between the urban communities in the area and it is believed it is likely to increase the number of children cycling to school.

It will also become a key part of a tourist trail from Waihi to Maketu.

The route is expected to attract 130-200 commuter cyclists a day, with a higher estimate for recreational users.

For more information on the entire Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway project visit the interactive story map: Omokoroa to Tauranga Cycle Trail story map

Plummers Pt