Tairāwhiti Roads General Manager, Dave Hadfield says construction will begin this week on extension of Gisborne’s popular Muriel Jones walking and cycling path.
The project will extend the existing off-road path along the western side of Wainui Road.
Mr Hadfield says the new path will run from Sponge Bay towards the CBD, past Kaiti School and across the road to Craig Road.
'Once complete the path will allow locals to bike and walk safely – all the way from Wainui to Kaiti - on a parallel path separated from traffic on State Highway 35,' Mr Hadfield says.
Ritchie Civil Ltd has been awarded the contract to construct the Wainui path extension. The $1.7 million project is fully funded by the NZ Transport Agency through the National Land Transport Fund and the new Wainui Road shared path is expected to be open for the community by September 2018.
The path crosses a roadway on land owned by the Matuaokore Ahu Whenua Trust, and a sod turning and blessing ceremony was held with the trust on Thursday morning prior to works beginning.
Mr Hadfield says the project is one of a number of initiatives to encourage more people to cycle for every day transport.
'They include the development of a two-way on-road cycleway along Rutene Road, widening of Gladstone Road bridge to make it safe for people walking and biking into the CBD, and construction of a separated path on the William Pettie bridge,' Mr Hadfield says.
The projects are being delivered in a joint effort from the NZ Transport Agency and Gisborne District Council through Tairāwhiti Roads.
Artists impression Wainui stage 2 cycleway
Pictured at a sod turning on 5 April to mark the start of construction are (from left): Arthur Stewart, Tangimoe Haami and George Hokianga of the Matuaokore Ahu Whenua Trustee, and Gisborne Mayor, Meng Foon
