26 September 2008

Walk across the Ormiston Road Bridge

Manukau residents are being invited to be one of the first to walk or cycle across the Ormiston Road Bridge at its official opening on 11 October.

A community day is being held on 11 October from 10am – 2pm to officially open the bridge, which will become the landmark entrance to the new Flat Bush town centre. The community day is also an opportunity to find out more about what is planned for Flat Bush.

The bridge and Ormiston Road from Chapel to Murphys Road will be open to traffic from the morning of Monday 13 October.

Manukau City Council Transportation Manager Chris Freke says all Flat Bush and other Manukau residents are invited to walk across the bridge before it opens to traffic.

“This is a chance to be one of the first to walk across the bridge. When it opens to traffic people will be able to continue to walk or cycle across it using dedicated paths.

“This is New Zealand’s first cable-stayed traffic bridge, so it provides a unique entrance to Flat Bush. The bridge is also designed so that it fits in well with Barry Curtis Park and people can walk underneath it between the two sides of the park.

“Although work on the bridge has been complete for about two months, another traffic bridge at the Murphys Rd end of Ormiston Rd had to be finished before the road could reopen.”

The Ormiston Road Bridge is one of the first major projects to be completed in the development of the new town of Flat Bush. Taking shape on 1700 hectares Flat Bush is one of a kind in New Zealand. It’s the country’s largest and most comprehensively planned new town, expected to be home to at least 40,000 people by 2020.

The bridge is designed to lift the road above the 100 year flood plain and allow access underneath it between the two sides of Barry Curtis Park.

It is New Zealand’s first cable-stayed traffic bridge, 27 metres wide with four traffic lanes, two cycle lanes and footpaths on both sides. The bridge deck is supported on two 70m long box girder beams suspended from concrete pylons 46 metres high.

The bridge cost $6.5 million to build and other work done in the area to improve the roads, install traffic lights and put in underground services cost approximately $10 million. The project was jointly funded by Manukau City Council and Land Transport New Zealand.

About Flat Bush Flat Bush is New Zealand’s largest and most comprehensively planned new town, taking shape on 1700 hectares in the south east of Manukau. It will be home to at least 40,000 people by 2020, a similar population to Nelson.

Not just another collection of subdivisions, Flat Bush will have a strong focus on people and the environment, large amounts of open space and high urban design standards.

While most of Flat Bush is being developed by the private sector, Manukau City Council is playing a strong role in planning and creating the town.

The new town has a unique focus on environmental sustainability, for example natural waterways and gullies are being retained to create a 45km green network throughout Flat Bush. As well as providing a slice of nature only five minutes walk from most households, they are also important in managing stormwater and providing for wildlife and native bush.

The heart and soul of Flat Bush, a new 20 hectare town centre, will be integrated with the new 94 hectare Barry Curtis Park, and built around a traditional main street concept. It will have a wide diversity of shops, cafes, offices, community facilities and apartments, bringing vitality, interest and character.

Council company Tomorrow’s Manukau Properties Limited (TMPL) owns the town centre land and has an agreement with Melview Developments to complete the town centre design and develop it.

Flat Bush will also have five smaller neighbourhood centres and a mixture of housing densities. Seven new state schools will be built, as well as the Baverstock Oaks primary school which opened in 2005.

One of the major features of Flat Bush will be Barry Curtis Park which has been designed to create 'a regionally significant park that reflects the people and cultures of Manukau.'

The council’s work on Flat Bush won the Gold award for Environmentally Sustainable Project at the 2007 International Awards for Liveable Communities.

ENDS

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