Otaihanga Road, Kāpiti’s busiest rural road, is set to benefit from an upgrade of the existing shared path facility between Ratanui Road and the Kāpiti Expressway Cycleway, Walkway and Bridleway (CWB).
The upgrade is being delivered through Stride ‘n’ Ride Kāpiti Coast. It will involve extending the existing 2.5 metre shared path that runs along Otaihanga Road between the Kāpiti Expressway CWB and the Otaihanga Road /Ratanui Road intersection 80 metres to Tieko Street. The Otaihanga Road /Ratanui Road intersection will also be upgraded to provide a safe crossing.
Infrastructure Services Group Manager Sean Mallon says the upgraded shared path will improve the existing facility for pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists by providing additional protection with extra kerb and channel, and drainage, to address ongoing ponding across the path and road.
“It will make it safer to get around Otaihanga Road by bike and on foot and will provide better connections to and between Otaraua, the Waikanae River corridor, Southward Car Museum and the Kāpiti Expressway Cycleway, Walkway and Bridleway.”
Construction work will commence this week and is expected to be complete by late October.
Mr Mallon says there will be some disruption on Otaihanga Road while this work is carried out but the Council aims to keep this to a minimum and traffic management plans will be in place when needed.
Stride ‘n’ Ride Kāpiti Coast will deliver a $5 million package of shared path improvements between Paekākāariki and Waikanae over the next three years.
Mr Mallon says shared path improvements have already been delivered at Poplar Ave in Raumati, Tilley Road in Paekākāariki and Mazengarb Road in Paraparaumu, and work to create a shared path and improve pedestrian and cycle connections on Kāpiti Road between Arawhata Road and Ngahina Street is now underway.
“Future work includes installing a shared path on the north side of Raumati Road, additional path works on Kāpiti Road in the vicinity of the Airport, providing a cycle connection on Poplar Ave west of Leinster Avenue and between Matai Road and Glen Road, and improving pedestrian and cycling facilities between Waikanae town centre and Waikanae Beach.”
Stride ‘n’ Ride Kāpiti Coast is being made possible through a three-way investment from Council, the Urban Cycleways Fund and the National Land Transport Fund, (both funds administered by the NZ Transport Agency).
