Bridge comes up trumps for walkers

Fifteen thousand locals walked over Tauranga's new second harbour bridge yesterday. Photo / Alan Gibson

A harbour bridge designed to ease congestion was packed end to end at its opening yesterday as more than 15,000 locals marked its completion with a bridge walk.

Tauranga and Mt Maunganui residents took advantage of spring sunshine to cross the second harbour bridge, which was opened for foot traffic for the day by the Transport Agency.

A temporary on-ramp was to be installed overnight, allowing drivers to begin using the bridge this morning.

The Transport Agency warned commuters not to expect a free flow of traffic immediately. Delays are expected this week while the switch is carried out.

Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said the opening was a major chapter in the $255 million Harbour Link Project.

"It is one of our largest engineering projects and it has been completed ahead of time and below budget, which is great news," he said.

The second bridge is welcomed by Julie Smith of Mt Maunganui, who has commuted to work in Tauranga for nine years.

"I realise there are still bits and pieces still to touch up, but I can't believe it's almost finished. That daily grind should be over soon."

The existing Tauranga Harbour Bridge will be closed for three months while widening is completed on the Tauranga side.

The Transport Agency had hoped the $131 million flyover would also open yesterday. But the viaduct connection, which will create improved access to the city's port, is now expected to be open in mid-October.

Mr Crosby said 30,000 cars cross the bridge daily. "With trucks using it to get in and out of the port, it can be frustrating getting stuck behind one which is churning through 24 gears. The flyover should spell an end to that."

Transport Agency project manager Kevin Reid said the huge turn-out of walkers showed what the bridge meant to the city.

"It will make a huge difference to this town. It will draw trucks away from the local roads and make travelling time quicker and more reliable for residents, holiday-makers and vehicles using the ports."

The second bridge is considered a legacy of former Tauranga MP Winston Peters, who was instrumental in pushing its development and in negotiating a toll-free deal as part of NZ First's coalition agreement with Labour after the 2005 general election.

The Harbour Link Project is on schedule to be finished, with both bridges open to traffic, by mid-December - three months early.

The link is expected to provide quicker access between Tauranga and the Mount, reduce congestion on the existing harbour bridge and Hewletts Rd and fix the traffic bottleneck at Chapel St.