Tairāwhiti Roads is alerting pedestrians and cyclists that a temporary diversion for those wanting to cross Gladstone Road Bridge will be in place until Friday.
The diversion, which will take pedestrians and cyclists underneath the historic bridge, is required so that power cables can be relocated prior to a project to widen it.
Tairāwhiti Roads general manager, Dave Hadfield says enabling works, to relocate power cables, started on 16 April 2018, with bridge widening construction due to begin in June 2018.
“Because of its heritage status, the new bridge will be wider but very similar, and built in new concrete. Tairāwhiti Roads wishes to work with iwi to incorporate bridge design features which align with Gisborne District Council’s current Navigations project and Heritage New Zealand requirements, Mr Hadfield says.”
Mr Hadfield says the cost of the project was $1.8 million, funded from the Urban Cycleways Fund. Tairāwhiti Roads is delivering the Gladstone Road bridge widening project on behalf of Gisborne District Council and the New Zealand Transport Agency.
Mr Hadfield added that the Gladstone Road bridge project was part of the government’s vision to encourage more active modes of transport like walking and cycling.
“Some of those projects are underway already. The $1.7 million Wainui shared path project extends the popular Muriel Jones path 1.6 km to Kaiti School and is being built right now. It is fully funded through the National Land Transport Fund and will be open to the community in September 2018.”
Designs for an on-road, two-way cycleway on Rutene Road, and changes to the William Pettie bridge on Ormond Road to make it safer for walkers and cyclists, would be shared with the community within the next few months.
Mr Hadfield says the proposed Rutene Road cycleway was a new kind of cycleway for Gisborne, and a decision on the project’s implementation would not be made until residents and other stakeholders had the a chance to have their say.
“We expect to be sharing the proposals for Rutene Road and starting a full programme of community consultation and engagement from June 2018.”
The cost of the proposed Rutene Road cycleway and William Pettie bridge changes was $2.5 million, funded from the Urban Cycleway Fund (UCF). Council contribution would be $777,000.
Note
Gladstone Road Bridge was opened in 1925 and is a Class B heritage structure on the Heritage New Zealand database. Made of reinforced concrete, it was considered advanced technology at the time of its construction. The current two lane bridge replaced a wooden bridge built in 1885.
