Wharf Road cycle/footpath construction under way

September 21st, 2011
[by David Armstrong]

Work is actually under way to build the walkway/cycleway beside Wharf Road, after years of planning and arguments which have tested the endurance and stretched the patience of the project's main driving force, Bob Cooke.

Fill is being placed on the northern (inlet) side of Wharf Road from the High Street roundabout toward Port Motueka, and is about a metre below the level of the road. So far it has reached nearly to the floodgates. When completed, the path will be the second last segment of the grand plan hatched by Keep Motueka Beautiful (KMB) to encircle the tidal inlet.

Active planning has been undertaken over more than three years, involving mainly KMB's works manager Bob Cooke and representatives of several council departments and other organisations. At times progress was being made and at others new (and sometimes old) hurdles have sprung up. See our older reports here, here and here.

Resource consent was finally granted two weeks ago and, once the implementation plan was agreed upon, actual work has proceeded rapidly. The floodgates are being closed when required so that water does not interfere with setting up the foundations.

Originally the work was expected to be completed in the 2009/2010 year. Because of extra material and machinery costs, the total price tag has risen accordingly and the project will now cost the council close to $40,000, Bob says.

With the walkways created by KMB from Old Wharf Road, through the Adopt-a-Plot area and down to Wharf Road, as well as the paths beside the cemetery and down to York Park, there will soon be just one section of the complete circuit to go, and planning work is proceeding slowly on that front.

The final section will involve a 96-metre raised boardwalk 2 metres wide, from the eastern end of the new Wharf Road path, across the south-eastern inlet margin to dry land and then northward parallel to Trewavas Street to join up behind Dolly's Haven with the existing paths in Link Park and then York Park.

So far planning has involved discussions with landowners affected (parts of the boardwalk will cut across the rear of some privately-owned sections, mapping the precise path, and costing of the boardwalk and path construction. Bob told KMB's September meeting that residents he'd spoken with still supported the project but wanted to know more details, and Talley's were still keen to contribute financially once actual costs are known.

Bob is still awaiting work from Tasman District Council to advance the planning. He has been told the expectation is that the work will be budgeted for the 2012/2013 year. The photo below shows the tentative peg markings (toward the right of the photo) where the boardwalk will go, taken from close to the Wharf Road floodgates bridge.

Comment by Philip Grimmett:
[Posted 25 September 2011]

Bob Cooke and his band of merry men and women are on a mission with KMB and this project. Well done and thank you from a Motuekan in Wellington. Bravo KMB!

Great effort by all concerned. Can't wait to move back to Mot. All that is needed now is a safe network of cycleways to make Mot an even more amazing community and township. Go KMB and TDC! A brilliant combination. Also thanks to Dave and Co at Mot Online.

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