Ōmokoroa to Tauranga Cycleway

This significant cycleway project involved numerous stages and a variety of stakeholders. RCP’s overarching focus was to achieve a consistent, high standard across all phases which has added significant value for the client and ensured a safe and user-friendly result for cyclists.

Completed in March 2020, the 19-kilometre Ōmokoroa to Tauranga Cycleway is a major infrastructure asset for the Bay of Plenty region. It was designed to provide a safe and user-friendly alternative to the existing state highway corridor and received significant funding from the NZTA Urban Cycleways Programme.

RCP was appointed as Project Manager by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council and provided a range of services throughout the 13-million-dollar project. These included advisory and responsibility for design and construction management, contract administration, procurement and programming.

Several bridges were necessary along the route to establish connectivity in remote locations, with the largest one being the Wairoa River bridge that connects the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga City Districts.

Due to 1 kilometre of the cycleway falling within the rail corridor, KiwiRail was an important stakeholder. Effective management of communication, consents, and gaining approval to build on KiwiRail land was a crucial aspect of this phase of the work.

Ensuring the safety of cyclists was a top priority in areas where the cycleway passes under the railway. To achieve this, RCP's team collaborated with the project design consultants to enhance the design standards. They developed protective screens of a much higher specification than those used in previous cycleway projects. This innovative design established a new benchmark for cycleway rail underpasses.