News & Media Releases

Harbour Link Community Open Day

24 August 2009

The NZ Transport Agency is holding a community open day next month to give the public the opportunity to preview the new Tauranga Harbour Bridge before it opens to traffic, a major milestone for the Harbour Link Project.

  • Date:          Sunday 6 September 2009
  • Time:          10am – 2pm (pedestrians only on the new harbour bridge for the open day, no access                        onto the bridge after 1.30pm to ensure the bridge can be cleared by 2pm)
  • Entrances:  Pedestrian access from Mirrielees Rd and Mount Causeway

NZTA Project Manager Kevin Reid said in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion in the area on the open day, free buses will be running between 9.45am and 2pm from two park-and-ride locations:

  • MOUNT MAUNGANUI – the grassed area adjoining Totara St/Matai St/Tawa St/Puriri St – access available from Tawa St, Mount Maunganui
  • TAURANGA – outside the BOP Times offices in Durham St (free parking available in the Spring St Parking Building - cnr Spring St/Durham St)

An alternative to the park-and-ride buses could be to catch one of the Bay Hopper buses into the city, which operate on an hourly basis on Sunday’s.

Volunteers from Waipuna Hospice will be assisting with co-ordination on the day and collecting an optional gold coin donation.  Some of the volunteers were part of the core group from the Hospice who helped with the weekly launch of each 20-metre section of the bridge, feeding slipper pads under the moving bridge and monitoring pier movements.  The bridge began its journey across Tauranga Harbour on October 3rd 2008 and touched down on the Mount causeway on April 30th 2009.

Mr Reid said that as soon as the open day finishes at 2pm there will be a flurry of activity to build a temporary ramp from Dive Cr onto the new bridge, and switch traffic from the existing Harbour Bridge, which will close for maintenance, to the new Harbour Bridge.

“Where possible on the Sunday we encourage motorists to use an alternative route to the harbour bridge, or allow more travel time as delays are expected,” he said.

For more information please contact:

Julie Hannam
Regional Communications Advisor
NZ Transport Agency
T        07 958 7238
M       027 294 2649
julie.hannam@nzta.govt.nz

www.nzta.govt.nz

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