December 2, 2020
In the western section of New Zealand’s North Island, a bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians was officially opened in the vicinity of the settlement of Upokongaro. The Upokongaro Cycle Bridge spans the Whanganui River. This 430-foot (130-meter) structure connects Upokongaro on the Whanganui River’s left bank with the community of Papaiti on the right side of that river. The bridge also serves as a vital link in the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Cycle Trail in that region of New Zealand.
Those on hand for the Wednesday afternoon opening of the bridge included Hamish McDouall, mayor of Upokongaro. He used the opportunity to underscore the potential quality-of-life benefits of the new bridge. “The thing I really like about this is that it promotes tourism and experiences based on healthy activity and appreciation for the outdoors,” he said to those in attendance. “This is great for visitors and equally for locals.”
Photo Credit: Johnragla (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
For more information on the Upokongaro Cycle Bridge, please check out https://www.whanganui.govt.nz/Your-Council/News-Events/News/Cycle-bridge-opens and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upokongaro#Cycle_trail
Transportation History 