Work to Begin for Pukete Bridge Clip-On

23 September 2011

The next step in the Wairere Drive section of the Ring Road project is about to begin, with work getting underway on Pukete Bridge in preparation for the new pedestrian and cyclist clip-on.

The bridge work will begin on Monday and take about nine months to complete. It is planned that the bridge will remain open to all road users including pedestrians and cyclists while the work is carried out, with traffic management measures and speed restrictions in place during this period.

Hamilton City Council City Development Manager Andrew Parsons said work will begin on the southern side of the bridge in preparation for the clip-on.

“The clip-on will accommodate a shared cycle and pedestrian path, and will enable the bridge to cater for two lanes of traffic in each direction. This is an important component of the overall project so it is exciting to see this work get underway,” he said.

In addition to transportation benefits, the Ring Road project will also enhance the design of the city by incorporating art and design elements which reflect local stories.

One of these elements will be blue and yellow panels fixed to pedestrian handrails on the bridge clip-on to represent the sky and kowhai flowers. Another art component is the recently completed Highland Drive retaining wall before the approach to Pukete Bridge, which features a Maori proverb relating to the river (‘Nga Tapuwae o Hotumauea – The sacred footprints of Hotumauea of Ngati Koura who leapt across the Waikato River’).

Visit www.hamilton.co.nz/AccessHamilton for more information.

ENDS

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