KEY POINTS:
A new 1.6km road bypassing the historic Stone Store Basin area in Kerikeri has opened to traffic.
As the Kerikeri Heritage Bypass- the first stage of a $17 million project - opened yesterday, a 93-year chapter in the area's roading history ended with the simultaneous closing of the old, single-lane concrete bridge across the Kerikeri River in the Stone Store Basin.
Demolition of the old bridge has started.
The Government-funded bypass is the biggest single roading project undertaken in the Far North district and will take increasing traffic volumes away from the Stone Stone and neighbouring Kemp House - both dating from the 19th century.
The Far North District Council also maintains, against some local opposition, that demolishing the basin's concrete road bridge is likely to reduce flooding threats to the highly protected Stone Store and Kemp House by removing a barrier when the river is in flood.
The last vehicle to use the old basin bridge was a 1913-14 Model T Ford from Pete's Pioneer and Transport Museum in Kerikeri.
The Model T symbolically completed a full circle in the bridge's history because it was also a Model T Ford that made the first crossing of the original wooden bridge in the Stone Store Basin in 1915.
Earlier, about 750 people walked over the new bypass route, running from the Kerikeri town area to Waipapa Rd, after a ceremony in which two carved pou (pole) prepared by the local hapu, Ngati Rehia, were unveiled and the new 82m bypass bridge over the Kerikeri River was blessed.
Construction of the bypass route - first mooted more than 25 years ago - started in late 2006.
The final stages of the project include construction of a new 56m pedestrian bridge over the river about 70m upstream from the old road bridge in the basin, and the creation of permanent traffic culs-de-sac for vehicles to turn around on each side of the river within the basin area.
All work is expected to be finished by Christmas this year.
