Design work on the Northern Pathway has reached an exciting new stage, with Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency calling for feedback on the plans for the path which will connect people by foot and on bikes between Westhaven and the North Shore.

The Government is investing $360 million in the first section of the Northern Pathway between Westhaven and Akoranga as part of the $6.8 billion NZ Upgrade Programme. The walking and cycling link over the Auckland Harbour Bridge will be built as a continuous path at the same level as vehicles and will eventually connect all the way out to Albany, opening up the whole of the North Shore for people using active modes of transport.

Transport Agency Senior Manager Project Delivery Andrew Thackwray says the route of the pathway is now set and the preferred designs for the connections at Westhaven, Princes Street, Sulphur Beach Road, Stafford Road and Onewa Road have been updated. The pathway now follows an existing coastal route from the Harbour Bridge, with a walking and cycling bridge crossing the motorway to Stafford Road Reserve in Northcote.

“This further stage of asking for feedback builds on the years of public discussion about this pathway that has fed into the designs so far and our engagement last year. This is an exciting part of the design process, because we’ve taken all the feedback we’ve had to date and looked at some different options along the route. Now we have a preferred design for the key pathway connections, and we want to share it with the local community and everyone who will use it.”

“We are confident that our proposed design will create a pathway that will serve generations of Aucklanders and visitors for years to come. However, we still want to hear about any local issues, challenges and opportunities that we should consider.”

Usually the Transport Agency invites people to face-to-face discussions during the engagement phase, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic we won’t hold public meetings for health and safety reasons. However, we will continue to progress this project as infrastructure will play a critical role in the economic recovery of New Zealand.

We encourage people to review the information online or read our update brochure and provide feedback in the way that suits them best. The project team will be available to discuss queries through the Transport Agency’s project webpage or email.

“Your views are very important to the project. We encourage you to look at the designs and have your say. We value your contribution and will carefully consider the feedback you provide,” says Mr Thackwray.

Public engagement will run from 30 March until 12 April.

The consenting/approval process will start from mid-2020. Subject to approvals, construction is expected to begin in early 2021 and take around two and a half years.

The Northern Pathway project, from the Auckland Harbour Bridge to Albany, is being delivered in stages. A business case is being prepared on the Akoranga to Constellation section and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020/early 2021. The Constellation to Albany section is in the construction phase as part of the Northern Corridor Improvements project and is expected to be completed in mid-2022.

For more on the Northern Pathway project and the consultation process, go to

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/northern-pathway/ or email the project team at northernpathway@nzta.govt.nz

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