Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust is set to pay for two bridges that will complete the Kopurererua north-south walkway link from The Lakes to Birch Avenue and 17th Avenue.

The bridges, via a confirmed grant of $175,000, will link pedestrian and cycling access from The Lakes to the Waikareao estuary walkways.

TECT is paying for two new Kopurererua Stream bridges. Photo: File.

The bridges are the latest step in an extensive restoration project led by the Kopurererua Valley Rotary Centennial Trust, turning a once weed-infested and neglected piece of land into a well-used attraction.

TECT today confirmed the amount to the Kopurererua Valley Rotary Centennial Trust for the project.

'The bridges will add immense value to the extensive restoration work that's already taken place,” says trust chair Mark Dean, 'including the 15 kilometres of boardwalks and walkways already in the valley.

'This project will help us take all the work that's happened over the past decade-and-a-half and open it up to the community.”

The trust is currently talking with bridge designers and Mark expects the bridges to be built or installed over the next few months.

'The bridge building is best done in that wetland area during the summer,” says Mark. 'The council is going to come to the party by forming cycle ways and pathways.”

There will be a bridge at the south end across the Kopurererua Stream near the former Route K toll plaza, and another at the northern end near the Tamatea Arikinui Drive overbridge linking to the Birch Avenue pathways.

'The idea is to make accessible the western side of the K-Valley between the river and the motorway,” says Mark.

'At the moment that part of the valley is inaccessible, because you can't use the motorway to get into it.

'This will open up a whole big section of the valley for the public to use, and for the trust for planting.”

The southern bridge will open the valley for walkers and cyclists from The Lakes using the State Highway 29 underpass.

The northern bridge will link the valley paths with existing paths along the stream by Birch Avenue.

'There is going to be a major sort of walkway system right through the Waikareao Estuary, right through Kopurererua valley right up through The Lakes,” says Mark.

'We are quite excited about it.”