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Ōrewa students are concerned about the damaged hand rails and slippery surfaces. Right, Student Council chair Darby Turner is pleased with the local board’s response to her Rainbow Bridge presentation.
A bridge connecting Ōrewa College and Centreway Reserve will receive some much-needed maintenance soon.
Ōrewa College Student Council chair Darby Turner gave a presentation about the condition of the bridge to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board’s meeting last month.
She told the members that the bridge, which students call “the Rainbow Bridge” was a popular route for students to use when walking and cycling to and from school.
“One Friday afternoon I counted 300 people using the bridge in 10 minutes,” she says.
“But it’s slippery, and the handrails are full of splinters with nails sticking out of them.”
Darby says however, the main concern is the narrowness of the bridge.
“It needs to be widened so there is more room for cyclists and pedestrians to cross safely.”
Auckland Council’s head of operational management and maintenance, Agnes McCormack, says that improvements to the decking and handrails are planned, after the bridge was assessed earlier this year. The assessment found that although the bridge is structurally sound, improvements to the decking and handrails are needed.
“Once funding has been allocated we expect the works to commence within the next 18 months,” she says. “In the meantime some minor repairs have been undertaken on the non-slip matting on the bridge.”
Local board chair Julia Parfitt says Council assesses all structures at least once a year to ensure they are fit for purpose, but the Rainbow Bridge will now be monitored more regularly.
The local board will also look at the issue of widening the bridge during discussion on its 2020/21 works programme.
It is thought that the Rainbow Bridge was built in 1982. The origin of the name is unknown.
