As the likely effects of the proposed East-West Link sink in, here comes some happier news from a project along the other Onehunga shore. The Onehunga Foreshore Restoration Project has been busy reconnecting the people to the water, across the motorway, undoing the separation created by the installation of the Southwest Motorway in the 1970s
[NB these are two separate projects, but you can do the maths: Onehunga was cut off from its harbour waterfront four decades ago, and we are only now regaining ease of access to the water and restoring the ecosystem. If the East-West Link were to be built, it could take much of our children’s lifetime before that side of the inner harbour is similarly restored].
The good news from Fulton Hogan / Auckland Transport is that they are installing a new shared-use path for walkers and bike riders along Orpheus Drive. This is an additional extension to the paths along the south side of the street, from the end of the Manukau Cruising Club carpark to the base of Seacliffe Road.
Orpheus Drive will be closed to general traffic during construction hours (Monday to Friday – 6.30am to 5.30pm; Saturday – 6.30am to 1pm) until the work is completed around the end of October. It will remain open for pedestrians and cyclists at all times.
Elsewhere, the site has been planted and seeded, with the grass already starting to come through. And all headlands and eight of the nine beaches are complete (all pictures below courtesy of Fulton Hogan).
Works taking place over the next few months include:
- Installation of the park’s footpath network
- Construction of the Orpheus Drive carpark
- Installation of park furniture
- Commissioning of the toilet block
- Construction of a shared path on Orpheus Drive for pedestrians and cyclists
- Sanding of the final beach
- Construction of the boat ramp’s turning bay and access road
- Installation of the bridge’s timber cladding and safety screens.
We appreciate the update and the efficient work Fulton Hogan are carrying out. It’s wonderful to think of this restorative project being completed in time for late spring and summer access.
And as we gaze back at the inner harbour, we note that while it’s good to right these urban wrongs – it’s better still not to commit them in the first place.
