Off-road path for Havelock Road

The biggest - and possibly the most exciting - iWay project yet is currently underway.

An off-road walking/cycle path is being constructed along Havelock Road as part of the iWay arterial route from Hastings to Havelock – something that really will make “walking and cycling simply irresistable”.

The pathway will be 3m wide, and part of it will be constructed above the existing drain that passes along the Strawberry Patch section of the road.

This “concrete boardwalk” - along with the landscaping also being created - will not only make things much easier for walkers and cyclists but also make this section of road something the whole area can be proud of.

Some facts and figures:

• At the moment, 18,000 vehicles use the road daily.
• By 2045, this is predicted to rise to 27,000 vehicles daily
• Most cars travelling along this road carry only the driver, and are travelling less than 5km.
• You can cycle 5km in about 15 minutes, without breaking sweat!

This work is only the first stage of a much longer term plan for this roading corridor.

Early in 2011, the community was invited to contribute ideas to solve the transport issues involved in this important link route. Out of this consultation exercise came a long term plan which looked to ease predicted congestion on the route, and involved a number of phases of construction.

The current work involves providing an off road pathway on one side only: in the near future, HDC will look to provide an additional path on the other side.