Blessing begins Phase One of big Shared Path project

JULIA WADE

Mangawhai Village has become inundated with orange cones in recent days now that the much-anticipated Shared Path project, including the Insley Street intersection, has the green light to proceed.

Before the first earthworks begin, a blessing ceremony was performed by Te Uri o Hau kaumatua Ben Hita on May 28 along with Kaipara District Council (KDC) iwi relations manager Francis Toko, and attended by council staff, Mangawhai councillor Peter Wethey, members of construction company United Civil and a number of locals.

Funded mainly by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Infrastructure Reference Group along with a $500,000 contribution by KDC, the projects Phase One covers the section along Molesworth Drive from ITM to approximately 80 metres past Estuary Drive, as well as two roundabouts at the intersections of Insley/Moir streets and Molesworth Drive/Moir. The work is part of a wider Shared Path network planned for Mangawhai to improve connectivity between the Heads and Village, making it safer and easier to travel by foot, bike, or scooter along the busy artery road and is expected to be complete by May 2022.

At the blessing, project manager Tim Manning said ever since the two key transport aspects of increasing safety at the Village intersections and the Shared Path were identified in the 2017 Mangawhai Community Plan, a massive volume of work has been undertaken.

“A huge amount of people have been involved, councillors, staff, designers and consultants. We had to complete this project in a certain time and have put a lot of pressure on our designers who have done a good job. I just want to acknowledge and say thank you to them for all their efforts,” he says.

“The ultimate reason why we’re doing this is because the community wanted this path, we’ve got a long way to go as this is only Phase One and we’ve got to get all the way to the Heads, but this is an important start.”

Detailed designs for Phase Two of the Shared Path are also underway, which continues on from Phase One along Molesworth Drive, past Mangawhai Central and includes a boardwalk running alongside the causeway, with construction planned to start under the next 2021-2024 Long-Term Plan, pending funding approval.

One of the biggest challenges the team currently faces, Manning says, is communicating with the community and minimising disruption along Molesworth Drive and in the Village as construction gets under way. Besides the expected disturbance from the road works, locals will also have to say goodbye to several Molesworth Drive Norfolk pines.

“Unfortunately a number of trees have been identified as unstable due to damage over the years by private development and there are also others that sit directly in the path route,” Manning says.

“The team is working to retain as many of the pines as possible, and those being kept will be protected by ‘tree bridges’ which involves raising the pathway up above the roots.”

More plants will be added along the busy road however, with a diverse range of native trees and shrubs to be planted along the Shared Path route as part of the project.

Kaipara councillor for Mangawhai/Kaiwaka, Peter Wethey, who has been an advocate for the Shared Path and is especially concerned about the safety issues of the ‘goat track’, says the project has been a major focus for the elected council.

“It is a significant step forward as the path connects the Heads with the Village, up until now they have been growing separately with their own peculiarities and this will link them,” he says.

“Congratulations to everyone and all the hard work that’s gone in – we’re finally getting a stake in the ground, and I’m sure the community will see some very significant benefits from this pathway.”

n To view the design details for the first section of the Shared Path and the Village intersection improvements, visit mangawhaicommunityplan.co.nz

Project team members attended a blessing on the work sites for the safety of workers and to also acknowledge the years and dedication of planning involved; United Civil construction project manager for Phase One Jacob Dunn, KDC project manager Tim Manning, councillor Peter Wethey, kaumatua Ben Hita and KDC cultural relations officer Francis Toko. PHOTO/JULIA WADE

“The ultimate reason why we’re doing this is because the community wanted this path… we’ve got to get all the way to the Heads, but this is an important start.”

- Tim Manning, project manager