Update on Upokongaro Cycle Bridge

Published on 13 March 2019

Whanganui District Council’s General Manager, Property, Leighton Toy, says work on the Upokongaro Cycle Bridge project is in progress, with current activity focused on additional consultation requirements due to an adjustment to the plan.

Mr Toy says, “As the design progressed, we identified that it would be advantageous to build the abutment on the Papaiti side higher than originally detailed.

“This would provide an additional measure of flood protection,” Mr Toy says. “We’d be raising the bridge 800 millimetres above the minimum requirements to reduce risks to the structure from climate change effects.”

The proposed change requires an amendment to the project’s Resource Consent, including consultation under Te Awa Tupua legislation, introduced by Parliament in March 2017.

Mr Toy says, “All parties involved in the consultation want to ensure we establish really good, agreed processes under this relatively new legislation and discussions are progressing well.”

“A launch date for the bridge will depend on the granting of the Resource Consent variation as well as a number of other factors, including weather conditions.

“We will provide at least two weeks’ public notice before the bridge is launched, as some road closures will come into effect and there will need to be considerable coordination with local residents, emergency services and companies operating in the vicinity.”