Cyclists and walkers try out new network of paths

Transport Minister Steven Joyce opened 3.5km of cycling and walking paths on Sunday. Photo / Dean Purcell

It was pedalling madness yesterday as Transport Minister Steven Joyce opened 3.5km of cycling and walking paths associated with the duplicate Manukau Harbour motorway crossing.

Cyclists of many ages, pedestrians and push-scooter riders joined the minister and a Transport Agency contracting alliance to celebrate the completion of the network, in the form of a shared 3.5m-wide pathway along a 300m causeway leading to the original bridge between Mangere and Onehunga.

The minister preferred to walk, saying he was a learner cyclist in the privacy of his backyard and "not yet ready for prime time".

But he said he recognised the importance of dedicated cycling routes in association with motorway projects such as the $230 million duplicate harbour crossing, which offered less-stressful trips to the airport.

Mr Joyce said 20 other pedalling and walking routes were being planned or built around Auckland, and the new links represented the final section of the State Highway 20 cycleway network "meaning you can now ride from Mangere Bridge to Mt Roskill".

The new links include:

* A 1300m pathway south through the Mangere Bridge waterfront reserve to Mahunga Drive.

*A 500m section north from Orpheus Drive on the Onehunga waterfront to Queenstown Rd.

*An Onehunga Lagoon path.

*Cycling and walking bridges across the motorway to Beachcroft Ave and across Onehunga Harbour Rd from the old Mangere Bridge.

*A boardwalk linking the old bridge to Auckland Council's 4km Waikaraka cycleway to Southdown.

Mangere Bridge resident James Perkins laid a time capsule for 2061 of mementoes from the Manukau Harbour crossing project.