Date set for opening by Prime Minister

A cavalcade of vehicles will mark the official opening of the Kerikeri Heritage Bypass by Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark on Friday 18th July 2008.

An open invitation has been extended to vintage and classic car enthusiasts to participate in the parade to celebrate the event. The cavalcade will assemble at Kerikeri Sports Complex on Waipapa Road and will start to move across the bypass at 10 a.m.

The parade route will take the vehicles across the bypass, along Kerikeri Road and Cobham Avenue, to an official address by the Prime Minister at The Centre at 11 a.m.

The Kerikeri Heritage Bypass is rated as the most significant roading project undertaken in the history of the Far North District Council. It is a landmark project which could have a huge impact on Kerikeri's future, with implications across the Far North and beyond.

The 1.6 kilometre Kerikeri Heritage Bypass helps protect heritage icons in the Kerikeri Basin, including two of New Zealand's oldest buildings -the Stone Store and Kemp House.

Construction of the $17 million bypass project commenced in November 2006 and the final stages are scheduled for completion by Christmas 2008. The first stage of the project, the construction of the 1.6 kilometre new road and 81-metre new bridge over the Kerikeri River, was completed and the road was opened to traffic at 1 a.m. on 23rd June 2008.

The first vehicle across the bypass following the operational changeover was a 1999 Audi driven by 17-year-old Steve Davis of Kerikeri.

The last vehicle to use the single-lane concrete bridge in the Stone Store Basin was a 1913-14 Model T Ford made available by Pete's Pioneer & Transport Museum at Kerikeri. The Model T symbolically completed a full circle in the history of the bridge – it was also a model T Ford which made the first crossing of the original wooden bridge in the basin in 1915.

The project includes the Far North's first purpose designed cycle way and footpath and a footbridge over the river within the Stone Store Basin. The existing road bridge in the Basin is currently being removed.

The project is being funded jointly by Land Transport New Zealand and by the Government through Vote Arts, Culture and Heritage.

The history of the bypass can be traced as far back as the early 1980’s when the former Bay of Islands County Council first investigated the possibility of a more convenient roading link between the town centre and the eastern seaboard.

For more than 50 years the only roading link between central Kerikeri and the rapidly expanding settlements north of the Kerikeri River was the single-lane bridge in the Stone Store Basin. The first single-lane wooden bridge was constructed in 1915 and the existing single-lane concrete bridge in the 1960s.

As traffic volumes increased over the years, it became more and more important to find an alternative to total reliance on this flood-prone access route and to upgrade to a two-lane bridge.

However successive Councils did not have the ability to fund a project of this magnitude, without placing an unacceptable burden on ratepayers. At the same time, the NZ Historic Places Trust and Department of Conservation were becoming increasingly concerned at the flood risk posed by the bridge to one of New Zealand's most important heritage precincts.

After flood waters entered the historic buildings, it became clear than affirmative action could not be delayed indefinitely. This coupled with the potential of the Basin as a future World Heritage site, were the primary drivers in this ground-breaking project.

The construction contract was let to the Drury-based consortium HEB Smithbridge Ltd for $13,989,712. (The company name was subsequently changed to HEB Construction Ltd). Contract supervision and management is being carried out by GHD Ltd.

The contract provides for :-

* 1.6km of two-lane carriageway with provision for a shared cycleway/footpath
* A two lane bridge across the Kerikeri River with provision for a shared cycleway/footpath to be above the 200year return design flood level.
* Pedestrian links from the bypass walkway to the existing esplanade walkways.
* Roundabout at the Waipapa Road intersection.
* Roundabout at the Kerikeri Road intersection.
* Provision on both the bridge and roadway for future service ducting (water, telecom, electricity supply and street lighting circuitry).
* Kerb and channel on both sides of the road with stormwater treatment facility.
* Noise management devices in accordance with the resource consent conditions.
* Landscaping of the full length of the bypass in accordance with the resource consent conditions.
* Removing existing road bridge in basin area
* Constructing new pedestrian bridge in basin area
* Constructing an adventure ford at the site of the existing single-lane concrete bridge in the Basin
* Constructing parking for people seeking to access existing walkways along the river
* Constructing permanent cul-de-sacs for turning traffic on Landing Road and Kerikeri Road adjacent to the existing bridge in the Basin.

 

The following are some of the notable events during the construction programme to date:-

Kiwi Find

On 22nd November 2007 the search dog (Maggie) and her handler found a large brown kiwi which was recovered and relocated to another bush area outside Kerikeri. The kiwi was discovered about 30m from houses in Kerikeri.

Archaeological finds

On the 7th December 2006 a midden was discovered on the south side of the river by the site based tangata whenua. The remains of several hangi pits were also discovered. The archaeologist returned to the site and took samples from the midden and hangi pits for carbon dating. He noted that the swamp area nearby would most likely contain items of archaeological interest too. Tangata Whenua, Historic Places Trust and Council worked together to complete an authority to damage a historic site in one month (over the Christmas period).

When work commenced on the clearing of the swamp area the first pre-european Maori artefact was found. Work stopped and a plan of excavation was developed. The archaeologist approved the use of the 20 tonne digger to carefully remove the spoil from the swamp and spread it on adjoining ground so that the spoil (mud) could be searched by hand for more artefacts. In all some 29 wooden pre-european agricultural tools were found all in surprisingly good condition due to having been preserved by the swamp
leachates.

The dig was managed full time by two archaeologists assisted by at times up to six members of Ngati Rehia. All of the items found were stored on site immersed in water, in an air-conditioned site office until the swamp excavation was completed. They have since been transferred to Auckland University to undergo dating and a preservation process before being returned to the Ngati Rehia people. The project construction work was able to proceed around the swamp area.

Poupou Blessing

Te Rununga o Ngati Rehia has marked its relationship with the land, Kerikeri and the Council in a graphic and traditional presentation of two poupou at the northern and southern entrances to the new Bypass.

The poupou was blessed at a ceremony at Kerikeri on 16th May 2008, transported to the bypass and erected on site. The carved poles remained covered until an unveiling ceremony at 6.30 a.m. on 22nd June 2008, the day before the bypass was opened to traffic. As part of the early morning ceremony the new 81-metre bridge was also blessed by the Ngati Rehia people.

Carved locally from totara logs recovered from the bypass route during the early construction

stages, the poupou stand over six metres tall to mark Ngati Rehia's special relationship with

the project and the community.

The taonga were carved by Rameka Reweti and Hemi Rihari in consultation with the late Remarie (Ray) Kapa. The poupou acknowledge the goodwill developed in the course of the bypass project, Ngati Rehia's associations with the land and the integration of the community in the post-European development of the area.

The poupou project was funded with the assistance of the Council, Eastern Community Board and the local business community.