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Panels add colour to Pukete Bridge

Monday 3 December 2012, 3:54PM

By Hamilton City Council

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HAMILTON

Yellow and blue translucent panels will add colour and a reflection of the city’s environment to the Pukete Bridge.

The bridge is an integral part of the Hamilton Ring Road, crossing the Waikato River to connect two sections of Wairere Drive.

Hamilton City Council City Development Manager Andrew Parsons says an extra clip-on for cyclists and pedestrians to share is being added to the south side of the 150-metre bridge, and as part of the public art element of the project, installation of 75 of the coloured panels will begin on Friday, 7 December.

“The panels have been part of the design of the bridge from the outset, and now it is nearing completion we’re ready to have them put in place,” says Mr Parsons.

Seventy-two panels will be put in place over the next couple of weeks, each measuring 1.4 metres high. They are made of a special polycarbonate material which is flexible, allowing the panels to be bent slightly so they can be put into the frames attached to the side of the bridge.

Mr Parsons the yellow signifies the flowers of the kowhai trees lining the banks of the river in some parts of the region, while the blue represents the sky and water of the Waikato.

“The Hamilton Ring Road is a priority site in Hamilton’s Public Art Plan, and we are very pleased to be able to reflect some of the city’s identity and history in this part of the project,” says Mr Parsons.

Public art is already evident on the Wairere Drive section of the Hamilton Ring Road, with a large inscription of an historic Moari proverb on the Highland Drive retaining wall. The proverb is “Nga Tapuwae o Hotumauea – The sacred footprints of Hotumauea of Ngati Koura who leapt across the Waikato River”.