Bridge It NZ Helps Kaiwaka Community Solve Ongoing Safety Issue

Improving pedestrian access has been a long-held dream of the Kaiwaka community. SH1 cuts the historic Northland settlement in half, with thousands of cars and heavy haulage trucks making the road difficult and dangerous to cross in the centre of town.

For years members of the community group ‘Kaiwaka Can’ have brainstormed how to solve this problem so people can safely reach the town’s shops, bus stops and recreational facilities on foot, including a family picnic area at nearby McClean Park.

Funding was eventually secured from Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit (formally known as the Provincial Development Unit). So Kaipara District Council (KDC) called for tenders to design and build two 24m-long pedestrian footbridges and associated boardwalks and pathways to improve safety, connectivity and accessibility for all Kaiwaka residents and visitors. 

The footbridges would sit 200m apart from one another, at the northern and southern end of town. After the tender process was unable to find a conforming submission, Bridge It NZ entered into discussions with Kaipara District Council to find a way to overcome their challenging budget constraints. Bridge It NZ found a way to cut almost $600,000 from the initial project cost through efficient design and adjustment to the scope of work. Site installation got underway in January 2022.

Bridge It NZ decided to design two identical footbridges (steel truss with timber decks) to reduce engineering costs as much as possible. The northern footbridge couldn’t be lifted in with cranes due to its location and closeness to SH1. Instead, each bridge was constructed in three parts and then connected with a bolted splice on site. This meant smaller excavators could be used for installation with no disruption to SH1 traffic. 

Both footbridges were designed to cope with a 1-in-100 year flood event and the northern-most boardwalk had to weave through native forest at McClean Park, requiring the utmost care and the opportunity for innovation. Bridge It NZ carefully constructed the northern boardwalk to weave in and around the trees (rather than running in a straight line) to minimise environmental disturbance.

Bridge It NZ believes the ‘whole of life costs’ are important to consider, not just the lowest price options. As a result, a more robust thermal spray coating was applied to the footbridges that will last 50 years before it needs any form of touch-ups or maintenance. 

Marijke Valkenburg’s business, Eutopia café, sits beside the northern bridge construction site. She was impressed by Bridge It NZ’s professionalism and commitment to getting the project done. 

“I remember Kaiwaka Can chatting to Bridge It more than six years prior and we saw then, with their assurance, that despite being tricky, the proposal was completely doable,” she says. 

“Bridge It was excellent to work with, very friendly, helpful and efficient. They kept in constant personal communication with us on progress and timelines, so we were aware of what was going on and what to expect. They were careful not to impact negatively on our business. They respected our business parking, and we were never impacted by noise or parking issues.”

Marijke says the new bridges (opened in March 2022) are now used extensively and residents are enjoying walking and cycling about town safely. “There is still plenty more to do in terms of beautification, joining pathways and walkway construction but this is a fantastic start to the transformation of a small town.”

The Northland Transport Alliance was equally impressed with the solutions-focused approach that Bridge It NZ brought to the project.

Alliance spokesman Tim Manning, from Kaipara District Council, said the company provided a solution that satisfied budget constraints while maintaining excellent relationships with all stakeholders.

“The Bridge It NZ project team worked collaboratively with all stakeholders and showed real professionalism and reliability during very tough COVID restrictions and supply chain constraints,” Tim explains. 

“They maintained regular communication with us and were always on hand to respond to any questions or ideas that we had.”

Bridge It NZ showed innovation with their construction methodologies and created a safe environment for both the project and the public around the sites, Tim says. 

“I personally found Bridge It NZ very customer driven and felt decisions and planning revolved around doing what was right for the project and community.  For instance their boardwalk solution was adjusted multiple times to fit amongst the existing native trees, while still providing the most direct route for the pathway. This attitude created a high level of trust within the project team and resulted in very good relationships at all levels across both the project, council and the community.

“The end product has received a high level of praise from the mayor, multiple councilors, our local MP and most importantly the community. The project was a success from start to finish.”

Bridge It NZ’s Business Manager, Kim Bevins, is extremely proud of the way the company partnered with Kaipara District Council, local businesses and community organisations such as Kaiwaka Can to build these footbridges. “The wonderful design aesthetic has given the town an instant lift and residents now use the footbridges, timber boardwalks and gravel pathways with pride.”

The project has also opened up future recreational options with planning for a pump track underway, and cycleways which can progress now that safety and accessibility has been improved, Kim says.

“We strive to help unlock the potential of land and this project is the perfect example of what Bridge It NZ can deliver with our highly-skilled and collaborative approach.”

Thinking about your next bridging project? Contact us now to discuss your requirements.