Waikaraka Cycleway
Encyclopedia
The Waikaraka Cycleway is an off-road cycleway in the south of Auckland City
, New Zealand
, running from the Wesley suburb
in southern Auckland City along New Zealand State Highway 20 to Onehunga
and then continuing along the shoreline of the Manukau Harbour
(Mangere Inlet
) beside mostly industrialised areas until it ends at Pikes Point, near Southdown
.
, near the Mangere Bridge to Pikes Point, the cycleway was extended in 2008 along the Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20) as far as the motorway's western end. As of early 2010 this extension of the link currently still had gaps near Onehunga and the Mt Roskill cone, which were completed closed as works on the Mangere Bridge duplication and the Mt Roskill park facilities proceeded, with this latter gap finished in July 2010.
The Mt Roskill gap was particularly late in being closed, due to sensitive issues regarding building a motorway and the associated cycleway across the side of a protected environment that is also important to local Maori. An agreement was finally reached that narrowed the cycleway locally (but avoided proposals which would have created long detours around the south of the mountain) and included significant new landscaping, as well as Maori carvings such as a winged sculptural gate across the path.
has also improved linkages to the cycleway near Mangere Bridge, including with a new overbridge over Onehunga Harbour Road
and works on the causway / Old Mangere Bridge link to the Mangere Bridge suburb to the south.
Auckland City
Auckland City was the city and local authority covering the Auckland isthmus and most of the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, in the North Island of New Zealand. On 1 November 2010 it was amalgamated into the wider Auckland Region under the authority of the new Auckland Council...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, running from the Wesley suburb
Wesley, New Zealand
Wesley is a suburb of Auckland New Zealand, located in the south of the former Auckland City area.Local state secondary schools include Mount Albert Grammar School, Marist College and St Peter's College....
in southern Auckland City along New Zealand State Highway 20 to Onehunga
Onehunga
Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is eight kilometres south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of One Tree Hill, Maungakiekie....
and then continuing along the shoreline of the Manukau Harbour
Manukau Harbour
Manukau Harbour is the second largest natural harbour in New Zealand by area. It is located to the southwest of the Auckland isthmus, and is an arm of the Tasman Sea.-Geography:...
(Mangere Inlet
Mangere Inlet
Mangere Inlet is an arm of the Manukau Harbour, the southwestern of the two harbours of Auckland, New Zealand and itself an arm of the Tasman Sea. The inlet lies between the two cities of Auckland City and Manukau City and has a size of 6.6 km2 and a catchment of 34.5 km2, being considered to...
) beside mostly industrialised areas until it ends at Pikes Point, near Southdown
Southdown, New Zealand
Southdown is an industrial suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand. The former main company in the suburb was the Southdown Freezing Works, part of a large industrial zone located near the main trunk railway at this point...
.
Construction and extensions
The initial construction of the cycleway was plagued by cost blow-outs, as the cost-estimates did not sufficiently allow for a number of extra factors during construction, such as remedial work around contaminated land, and the need to construct the path to a long-lasting quality on worse ground than initially expected, and above an underground gas pipeline route.Along SH20
Originally running only currently 4 km from OnehungaOnehunga
Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland City, New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is eight kilometres south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of One Tree Hill, Maungakiekie....
, near the Mangere Bridge to Pikes Point, the cycleway was extended in 2008 along the Southwestern Motorway (State Highway 20) as far as the motorway's western end. As of early 2010 this extension of the link currently still had gaps near Onehunga and the Mt Roskill cone, which were completed closed as works on the Mangere Bridge duplication and the Mt Roskill park facilities proceeded, with this latter gap finished in July 2010.
The Mt Roskill gap was particularly late in being closed, due to sensitive issues regarding building a motorway and the associated cycleway across the side of a protected environment that is also important to local Maori. An agreement was finally reached that narrowed the cycleway locally (but avoided proposals which would have created long detours around the south of the mountain) and included significant new landscaping, as well as Maori carvings such as a winged sculptural gate across the path.
Other linkages
NZTANew Zealand Transport Agency
The New Zealand Transport Agency is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing and investigating rail accidents. It was created on 1 August 2008 by the Land Transport Management Amendment...
has also improved linkages to the cycleway near Mangere Bridge, including with a new overbridge over Onehunga Harbour Road
Onehunga Harbour Road Bridge
The Onehunga Harbour Road Bridge is a walking and cycling bridge over Onehunga Harbour Road, a heavily trafficked road at the southwestern edge of Onehunga, New Zealand. The bridge provides easy and safe access from Onehunga to both the Waikaraka Cycleway running west-east, and Old Mangere Bridge...
and works on the causway / Old Mangere Bridge link to the Mangere Bridge suburb to the south.
Link to Northwestern Cycleway
In May 2011, the Board of Inquiry hearing the resource consent process for the Waterview Connection decided that NZTA was to set aside $8 million for the construction of an off-road surface cycleway between SH16 and the existing SH20 section in Hillsborough, as part of the tunneling project. This will create a connection between the Northwestern Cycleway and the Waikaraka Cycleway.External links
- Waikaraka Cycleway (somewhat out-of-date map of the cycleway, Auckland Transport website)