The NZ Transport Agency is pleased to announce a significant next step for the SeaPath walking and cycling project that will connect to the planned shared path over the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Together the two paths will create a seamless walking and cycling connection between Westhaven and Takapuna.
A contract has now been awarded to start the design and consenting phase on the four-metre-wide SeaPath, that will link with the Auckland Harbour Bridge Shared Path.
New Zealand Transport Agency Director for Regional Relationships, Steve Mutton says SeaPath is a key project for the Transport Agency, with cycling now the fastest growing transport mode in Auckland.
“We are excited to be delivering both SeaPath and the Auckland Harbour Bridge shared path and it is a priority for us to ensure that they work well together, and we deliver a seamless experience for customers.”
SeaPath will run along the landward side of the northern motorway between Northcote Point and Esmonde Road, providing safe and direct connections to local communities and recreational areas on the lower North Shore.
“The shared path will follow a landward route beside the motorway which is cost effective and avoids nesting coastal birds on the seaward side. It will also connect well to the Northcote Safe Cycle Route and the Esmonde Interchange to Takapuna, providing the best connections and transport options.
“Now that detailed design and consenting can get underway, we will be talking to stakeholders and the community over the next year about more detailed aspects that they can contribute their ideas into, such as the materials we use to build the path and the associated landscaping around it.”
“We will also continue to partner with mana whenua, Heritage New Zealand and other groups who are highly invested and interested in this area. We want to ensure that the path contributes to the cultural, historical and ecological diversity of this part of Auckland.”
The detailed design and consenting work on the SeaPath project is due for completion in 2021 with construction funding expected to be confirmed in 2021.
The Detailed Business Case for the Auckland Harbour Bridge shared path will go to the Transport Agency board later this year. Construction on that path could begin as early as the end of 2020 and take two and a half years.
More information on the projects can be found at:
SeaPath: www.nzta.govt.nz/seapath
Auckland Harbour Bridge shared path: www.nzta.govt.nz/auckland-harbour-bridge-shared-path
An artist’s impression of how SeaPath could look alongside the Northern Motorway on the North Shore
The proposed SeaPath route will connect to existing and planned cycle routes on the North Shore
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