Repair works have begun on sections of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, which suffered significant damage during the July and August 2022 storms and flooding. The contract for the repairs and resilience work on the trail, one of the most popular cycling routes in New Zealand, was awarded to Wilson & Keen Contracting (WKC) after three competitive tenders were received.
Alps 2 Ocean Trail Manager Robyn Hyde thanked trail users for their patience “We appreciate their support during this time and look forward to seeing the A2O fully restored to its former glory”.
MBIE (Ministry of Business Innovation and Enterprise) has contributed $500,000 towards the cost of the project which totals $688,000.
Mayor for Waitaki Gary Kircher emphasised that “this additional work is being carried out to help prevent some of the more frequent washouts happening as often in the future. While this is costing some extra money now, it will save a lot of interruptions and future costs.”
WKC Contracting will be carrying out repair work on the trail over the next five months. Trail users are encouraged to welcome the contractors to the district and say hello when passing them while they are out making repairs. Weekly information on live work sites will be posted on the A2O website to inform users of sections where repairs are currently taking place.
Work will continue in the Otamatapaio Stream area, as fresh building material arrives on site for the trail alignment and preparation for the new bridge to go in. Cyclists are advised to keep an eye open for contractors in this section and dismount in the vicinity of operating machinery. WKC will also be working on the Tarnbrae section this week. Work sites will be live and the WKC team will manage the flow of cyclists through them safely. Trail users are urged to be patient and follow the instructions of the WKC team.
Ms Hyde said “We will try our best to make sure the trail remains open at all times, and repair works are carried out with minimal disruption to users. These repairs are in addition to the regular maintenance work carried out on the trail, ensuring that it continues to be one of the best cycling trails in the world”.
