Bridge would make cyclists safer: Bowers

Pictured is the Tukituki River Bridge on Waimarama Road during a storm. Photo / Warren Buckland

A new cycling bridge over the Tukituki River has been mooted as a possible solution to a dangerous stretch of road for cyclists.

Hastings District Councillor Cynthia Bowers said part of Waimarama Rd, from the end of Te Mata Rd in Havelock North to Craggy Range Winery was considered dangerous for cyclists.

The hilly, windy road was part of the local cycling network's Landscapes Ride.

One way to make the section of road safer would be to eliminate it from the Landscapes ride by making the ride shorter through a bridge over the Tukituki River at River Rd, which runs to the riverbank from Te Mata Rd. Currently the Landscapes Ride continues to a road bridge over the Tukituki River to Tuki Tuki Rd.

She said there had ben no serious consideration given to the bridge "because it would be quite expensive".

Hastings District Council was having ongoing discussions with Hawke's Bay Regional Council, responsible for the region's cycle trail network, but all funds from central government's New Zealand Cycle Trail were spent. The cycle trail is a national project to build a world-class network of cycle trails.

Ms Bowers said the preferred option to make the dangerous section of Waimarama Rd safe was through reforming the road "but if we found a few million dollars" the bridge would be "a really good idea".

The bridge would create a loop trail, with the lower Tukituki River having existing cycle trails on both its banks.

The 200km network of Hawke's Bay cycle trails, now known as Hawke's Bay Trails, began as Rotary Pathways before becoming part of the government's New Zealand Cycle Trail project.