A wider section of the community will soon be able to enjoy some of the most popular trails around Ōmokoroa.

Three stretches of trail - Lynley Park to Plummers Point, around Cooney Reserve, and from Beach Grove Road to the Esplanade – will soon be upgraded to a bitumen chip seal surface to improve the experience for users, while also reducing long term maintenance costs.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Reserve and Facilities Asset Systems Manager Scott Parker says that these trails are part of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway/ walkway and get a lot of use from the community.

'We want to enable more of our community to get out and about, and we know that these kinds of trails can help people to feel more connected and create a sense of belonging.”

Beach Grove Road to the Esplanade. Image: Supplied.

Presently the trails are a gravel surface that can degrade relatively quickly when used a lot and they are more affected by rainfall. The new hard surface will require less maintenance to keep it in good shape, and provide more equitable access for mobility impaired reserve users, elders and tamariki.

Scott says contractors will begin working on the relevant trail sections from Monday May 16, and users should expect individual sections to be completely closed while works are happening between 7.30am and 4.30pm each day. Trails will be open outside of those times.

From Monday May 16 – the trail between the end of Lynley Park Drive and the first bridge to Plummers Point, will be closed for surface preparation. To be followed by the trail section at Cooney Reserve and the last section between Beach Grove and The Esplanade.

Lynley Park to Plummers Point. Image: Supplied.

Chip-sealing will take place for all three trail sections towards the end of the week. All work is subject to suitable weather, and trail users should check the council's Facebook, website or Antenno app for up-to-date information.

'We thank everyone for their patience while we get this work done, ultimately it means there will be less disturbances from maintenance in the long run,” says Scott.

The planned path upgrades are funded through the Long Term Plan 2021-31. The upgrades align with Council's Walking and Cycling Action Plan which seeks to achieve more accessible paths across the District.

Cooney Reserve. Image: Supplied.