Interim link saves pathway

Construction of the cycle and walkway linking Silverdale North and Orewa is well underway, but final completion is likely to be several years away.

This is because the section of the pathway that goes through Millwater in Silverdale North is to be constructed by developer WFH Properties as part of its Arran Hill precinct, which they say may be about seven years away from development.

Council’s senior parks and coastal capital works engineer Peter Bilton says in the meantime WFH Properties has agreed to grant an easement allowing Council to build an interim cycleway over its land.

The interim link will be 2.2m wide and connect the Council built cycleway on both sides of Orewa Estuary. It will go through the Millwater Estate from the Waru Nui Court bridge to WFH Properties’ road bridge, near land set aside for Metro Park.

The shared 7.5km cycle/walkway around Orewa Estuary consists of two separate sections, one to the north of the estuary and the other on the southern bank.

Around 3.9km of the cycleway, one of Rodney District Council’s legacy projects, is Council’s responsibility, with 2.5km to be built by WFH Properties. There is also around 1km of existing pathways in the scheme.

Mr Bilton says Council has completed all but 1.9km of its share of the route, and all construction work should be complete by April next year.

Construction is due to be completed this month on the section between Jelas Rd and Moffat Road on the southern side of the estuary, and the only portion still to be completed on the northern side is the Orewa College section, including a bridge across the tributary to connect to the existing path through Western Reserve.

However, agreement is still to be reached with the Ministry of Education to enable completion of this section.

“Negotiations are in progress with the Ministry of Education for acquisition of a piece of riparian land at the back of the college playing fields for the cycleway, and access over the college property so that construction can start,” Mr Bilton says.

Council approached nearby residents last month regarding the installation of overhead lighting along the route that will be controlled by timers.