State Highway 2 Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway: 'Dangerous' changes under fire

Richard Hale standing where he thinks the final section of the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway should go, not the other side of the road. Photo / Mead Norton

The redesigned section of a $13 million-plus cycleway has been labelled more dangerous than the original plans and a "waste" of money by a cyclist and architect.

The change has also created a project delay described by one cycling advocate as disappointing.

But the council says its priority is a safe cycleway solution that balances the views of various groups and there were reasons why the changes have been on hold.

The original plans for the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway, which will result in a section of State Highway 2 dropping from 90km/h to 50km/h, were due to be completed three years ago.

Construction of the revised final SH2 leg of the 19km cycleway will now begin early next year, Tauranga City Council says.

The new works were expected to cost $3.2 million. More than $13m has already been spent on the cycleway since construction began in 2016. It stalled in 2019 after local landowners raised safety concerns.

Originally, the cycleway was expected to run 800m alongside the northern side of SH2 from Wairoa Bridge to Carmichael Rd.

The new design will see Tauranga-bound cyclists cross SH2 under the Wairoa Bridge go up a hill, and across Taniwha Place before reaching a signalised crossing to take them back across the highway to Carmichael Rd.

Tauranga City Council design plans for the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway on SH2, Bethlehem. Image / TCC

It will also result in the 90km/h speed limit on the eastern side of the bridge to Carmichael Rd dropping to 50km/h, and to 80km/h on the western side.

Richard Hale, director of Insight Architecture, said he had ridden many cycleways throughout New Zealand. He has a background in civil engineering.

Hale said he believed the final design did not make sense, would be more dangerous for cyclists, and would ultimately be ignored by most.

The $3.2m expected spend was, in his opinion, a "waste" when there was an obvious cheaper and safer option.

"You've got quite a wide berm already there ... it's pretty obvious to run it as it was [on the northern side of SH2].

"It's common sense."

Hale said he believed the new design was "definitely dangerous" as "you are stopping traffic which doesn't need to happen".

The cycleway at Wairoa Bridge stops suddenly despite a clear route ahead but work is about to begin on redirecting the cycleway to the other side of the highway. Photo / George Novak

In his view: "Then you are pushing cyclists around a camber blind corner with a crossing on it. A truck going around there will wipe a cyclist out.

"That's going to be problematic."

Hale did not believe many cyclists would use the new design because "there's already a direct route from A to B".

Hale believed the council appeared to be setting double standards and referred to the nearly completed Totara St cycleway as an example that was, in his view, more dangerous than the SH2 cycleway's original design, he said.

"Looking down Totara St, numerous businesses and industry are intersecting the cycleway. Totara St is rife with traffic movement.

Hale said, in his view: "This can work, we just need people to stop being namby-pamby about it."

Hale said while the safety concerns raised as part of the cycleway's completion were "valid," he believed they did not justify the expense.

Cycle Action Tauranga's Kevin Kerr said the length of time it had taken to get to this point was disappointing.

"The worst part about it is that we are not going to have it for summer this year," he said.

"I'm happy they are going to do something but I'm still gutted."

Kerr said the Ōmokoroa to Tauranga cycleway was critical to the wider cycleway network.

"It's the longest secure cycleway in the area, there's heaps of people using it during the week and during the weekend."

Council director of transport Brendan Bisley said work was originally meant to begin on the new design in October and finish before Christmas.

A safety audit, approvals and funding were the three main factors responsible for stalling the new works, he said.

The approvals involved the council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency adapting the existing state highway technical standards because the highway was expected to become a local road when the Takitimu Northern Link was established. While there were "no issues" receiving funding - the transport agency is providing $1.6m - there was "a process" that had to be worked through, Bisley said.

"We are disappointed the cycleway couldn't be completed for summer 2022 but ensuring the design of the cycleway will be safe has been a main focus for us."

In response to the concerns raised, Bisley said the council's stakeholders, including people who cycled, all held different views about the best approach for this stretch of highway.

"Our priority is to deliver a safe solution which balances the views of these various groups, to connect the missing link of cycleway, within a very narrow section of road," he said.

Bisley said the alignment of the cycleway on the southern side of the road avoided the crossing on multiple driveways and "given the potential for large numbers of vehicles entering and exiting Wairoa Pa Rd," there needed to be enough space for a cycleway and a vehicle stopping "to be clear of motorway traffic".

Right now, there wasn't, he said.

"Also, with heavy traffic and trucks approaching Bethlehem, approaching cyclists would not be visible in both directions. This is the reason that the cycleway is not recommended on the [southern] side."

Bisley said the signalised crossed was placed in a position with the highest visibility and would be clearly marked.

The future lower speed limit was another safety factor to consider, he said.

However, Bisley said an alternative solution, for a wider range of users including pedestrians, was being developed as part of the Takitimu North Link.

The council has been doorknocking residents in the area to inform them of the new design and will be at the Bethlehem Night Out Markets on Saturday.

Ngāti Kahu was approached for comment.