Ngā Hau Māngere connects communities across the harbour
Communities are celebrating the opening of Ngā Hau Māngere, the new walking and cycling connection across the Manukau Harbour which was officially opened by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff and Minister of Transport Michael Wood on Saturday 27 August.
"The new bridge is architecturally designed and will not only provide a way for people to cross the harbour on foot or by bike but will also become a popular destination in itself. As well as a transport corridor, the new bridge will be a community space for whānau and friends to gather, sit and even enjoy a spot of fishing,” said Mark Kinvig, Waka Kotahi National Manager Infrastructure Delivery.
“The design of the bridge is a collaboration between Waka Kotahi, mana whenua and locals who worked together on a design that sees and 8-metre wide deck with two fishing bays extending out to 12-metres, with bench seating for people to sit and enjoy the harbour views.
“Waka, canoes and small watercrafts travelling into the Upper Māngere Inlet will have more space to travel underneath the bridge with a greater clearance during both low and high tide as well as more space between the bridge piers to navigate.
“Through partnership with mana whenua, design features such as puhoro fascia panels spanning the length of the bridge, balustrade colours which reflect the colours of the kahawai fish and rain gardens on each abutment tell the cultural story of the bridge. In a few months’ time, iwi artworks will be installed on both sides of the bridge.
“The partnership between Waka Kotahi and mana whenua has spanned nearly a decade and it’s great to be here today to celebrate the social and environmental benefits for future generations who will enjoy Ngā Hau Māngere. We’d like to acknowledge the collaboration on this project to achieve great outcomes for the people and for the environment,” said a representative of Te Waiohua.
“Waka Kotahi has worked with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga to keep the history of the old bridge in the area by featuring some of the material from Old Māngere Bridge in a heritage garden on the northern side of Ngā Hau Māngere.”
The bridge will be part of a growing network of cycling and walking routes in Auckland. It connects with the southwestern shared path running alongside SH20 on the isthmus and then onto the northwestern cycleway for people travelling between the city centre and west Auckland, as well as the shared path along the northern edge of the Upper Māngere Inlet adjacent to a large industrial hub as well as the growing number of shared paths and cycleways south, connecting the airport with the communities along the way. The strategic location of the bridge means it will improve the journey of people travelling to work, places of education or those who are exploring their neighbourhood.
Watch the below social media video we've created from the day the bridge opened.
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