New Pathway Developments About to Start

Two pathways in New Plymouth’s western and eastern suburbs are about to get a significant redevelopment as part of the Let’s Go programme.

The Waiwhakaiho Walkway from Riversdale Drive in Merrilands to Raiomiti Street in Fitzroy will widen and improve the existing gravel and dirt track alongside the Waiwhakaiho River and behind the Waiwakaiho Netball Courts. Work on this 1.8km path starts this Monday (14 November) and will be completed in February.

Meanwhile, work on the Mangaotuku Walkway will start before Christmas and go through February.

This 1.5km path is from Endeavour Street in Marfell through to the intersection of Seaview and Devon roads, then follows Lawry Street before going along a paper road at Moulton Street and on to Calvert Road.

“Right now the Mangaotuku Walkway is a mix of rough grass track and boggy horse paddocks among some lovely large trees,” says Let’s Go Project Manager Carl Whittleston.

“When this work is finished, schoolchildren and residents will be able to take this mostly off-road path from Marfell through to St Joseph’s School and Devon Intermediate.”

The two projects will cost $500,000, with the money coming from the NZ Transport Agency’s Model Walking and Cycling Communities funding and matching Council funds for walkway works.

“Let’s Go is about encouraging residents to leave the car behind and instead travel by foot, bike or bus. These two walkway developments will give a lot of residents a good alternative to travelling by road and enable them to see a part of their neighbourhood that they might not have been able to enjoy before,” says Mr Whittleston.

“In particular, it will make these two walkways easier to find and use for many people who may have never known they existed.”