Bridges to be Improved on Coastal Walkway

From this Monday (4 October) work will begin on improvements to two key bridges on the Coastal Walkway.

Timber decks will be installed at either end of Te Rewa Rewa Bridge from next week, while a wooden bridge in the Fitzroy sand dunes will be replaced with a wider, stronger bridge.

“Public access will be limited at these sites during the work, so we ask people to look out for information signs and follow the directions for their own safety,” says Project Manager Tracey Mitchell.

“At the end of the day we’ll have timber features at Te Rewa Rewa Bridge that match the finger piers elsewhere on the Coastal Walkway, and a wider bridge in the Fitzroy to Waiwhakaiho section that can take larger mobility vehicles.”

On Monday a grass area on the city side of Te Rewa Rewa Bridge will be replaced with a timber deck and have seats installed. This work will take about a week and will require the public to take care in this area during construction.

On 12 and 13 October a timber deck will replace the hotmix pad on the Rewa Rewa side of the bridge.

“That two-day job will require pedestrians to move down the planted slope next to the bridge’s ramp rather than down the pathway, so we’ve timed this part of the project for when the school holidays are over and there are fewer people about during the week,” says Ms Mitchell.

The replacement of the footbridge in the sand dunes will require the entire Coastal Walkway section from Fitzroy to Waiwhakaiho to be closed to the public from 18 to 22 October, because of the movement of machinery along the pathway.

The public will be directed along the beach during this time.

“The timing of this work is weather dependent,” says Ms Mitchell. “We’re hoping we’re due for a decent period of weather so that the contractor can get in and build these features quickly so they can be enjoyed by the public.”