Auckland Harbour Bridge: 78 per cent in favour of new Northern Pathway design

Tuesday, 28 April 2020

The latest design for the Northern Pathway over Auckland's Harbour Bridge has received overwhelming support from the public, the New Zealand Transport Agency says.

The $360 million project, previously known as the SkyPath, will connect the city centre and the North Shore via a walking and cycling link over the Waitematā Harbour, while extending the region's walking and cycling network.

A three-week consultation, which ended on April 19, saw 1194 submissions through the online survey or email, with 78 per cent supporting the project, NZTA said.

The response was nearly three times the number of submissions from the project's last public consultation in August and September.

* Auckland's Northern Pathway: MP wants Harbour Bridge cycle path plan paused

The cross-harbour cycle and walkway and 3.4km connecting network will be called Northern Pathway.

* Coronavirus: Hamilton section of Waikato Expressway could be affected by Covid-19 lockdown**

Andrew Thackwray, of NZTA, said most of the feedback agreed with previous public calls to 'just get on with building it'.

'While most people are very pleased with the pathway design refinements, some expressed concern about Waka Kotahi [NZTA] acquiring properties to build the pathway. There were questions about access, parking and safety as well as how we'll manage cyclists, e-bikes, scooters and pedestrians on the pathway.'

While in lockdown, seven families were told their homes could be acquired by the Crown via a compulsory purchase.

Up to seven homeowners on Princes St, in Northcote, are at risk of losing their homes, and the group has complained a last-minute design change was foisted on them without warning during the first week of the nationwide lockdown.

It prompted Northcote MP Dan Bidois to urge NZTA to pause the consultation process.

NZTA continued with the consultation, which Thackwray said had been a challenge: 'The high number of submissions is especially pleasing because the Covid-19 level 4 lockdown from March 26 meant we couldn't hold public meetings or have face-to-face conversations.'

The project team is still to analyse the survey feedback and publish a report to its website.

'It's great that people have come forward with their views and questions. The challenge now for the project team is to respond to those questions as the design is finalised for the pathway that will serve generations of Aucklanders for years to come,' Thackwray said.

Subject to the consenting approvals process, construction is expected to begin in early 2021 and will take around two and a half years.

Thackwray added that while the route of the Northern Pathway is set, the public consultation was to gather public feedback on refined designs for connections at Westhaven, Princes Street, Sulphur Beach, Onewa Road and Akoranga.

The pathway will be built as a continuous link at the same level as vehicles on Auckland Harbour Bridge.

On the northern side, it will follow an existing coastal route, with a bridge crossing the motorway to Stafford Road Reserve in Northcote. Once complete, it will run from Westhaven to Akoranga and extend as far as Albany.