The Westhaven promenade is a stunning walkway and cycleway that links the Auckland Harbour Bridge with Wynyard Quarter. The 2km long structure features timber decking, street furniture, lighting and a barrier that lightly and effectively fulfils the brief. The client, Waterfront Auckland, asked for a design that was simple and as buoyant as possible to make the most of the environment and the view, avoiding a heavy ‘wharf-like’ concrete feel.
The goal was to improve pedestrian access and connectivity along Westhaven, one of the largest marinas in the southern hemisphere, to the city centre.
The project design commenced in February 2013 and it was opened officially in February 2015 with a construction budget of $7.5m.
Our civil and structural design engineers lead the project, responsible for the engineering design of the walkway/ cycleway which included over-water structures, lookout points and piers linked with upgraded and widened pavements and footpaths.
Prajna Singh, lead Structural Engineer, said “the location of the walkway presented many challenges. This area of waterfront is highly protected and an important ecological region. During the piling process, which took a large portion of the construction time and budget, we had to be very careful to schedule work accessibility around the tides. Barges were used to move large boulders out of the way for pile construction and to bring materials in. The teams were monitored very closely by Auckland Council environmental officers, for example all rocks had to go back in the exact spot they came from.
