The newest walking and cycling bridge on the North Shore opened today giving communities an iconic new connection over the Northern Motorway and directly into Albany.

The striking red Tirohanga Whānui Bridge which means ‘panoramic view’ reconnects the community between the East Coast Bays and Albany, as part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project.

NZ Transport Agency Acting Senior Project Delivery Manager, Karen Boyt, says the 110 metre bridge enables local residents and schoolchildren to walk and cycle safely between suburbs.

“The bridge really opens up the area and gives more choices for people to get to Albany Station, the business area as well as schools and universities.”

The $10M bridge includes a new watermain which has been installed directly underneath the bridge, to help cater for the growing needs of the area over the next 40 years. It links to a new pump station and existing water reservoir at Corinthian Drive.

Once the pump station opens, it will pump 20 million litres of treated water a day through the watermain to a reservoir in Pinehill. This then provides water to North Shore communities.

Watercare Chief Infrastructure Officer Steve Webster, says the bridge and watermain were built with the future in mind.

“The North Shore is growing rapidly and we need to ensure that the transport and water infrastructure is in place to meet that growth. So we worked together to develop the bridge and watermain over the motorway, so we could minimise any disruption to the local community.”

The Transport Agency and Watercare joined councillors, Upper Harbour Local Board members, Mana Whenua, community members and local schoolchildren to celebrate the opening. A group of keen cyclists also took a first ride across the bridge and tried out the new 3 metre shared paths - which connect into the community at Spencer Road and Corinthian Drive.

Ms Boyt says the bridge lights up at night making it a stand out feature for people travelling towards the city from the north.

The bridge is part of work to build over 7kms of walking and cycling paths for the Northern Corridor Improvements project. The project will provide a much needed transport upgrade for the whole Albany and North Shore community. It includes a proposed busway station, a new motorway connection between SH1 and SH18 and will open up access to the Western Ring Route and travel to the airport.

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