Sunday Hole boardwalk opens

Walkers and cyclists have improved access to the beautiful Maitai Valley with the completion of a technically challenging 66 metre-long boardwalk along the shared pathway at Sunday Hole.

The business case for an upgrade of the Maitai shared pathway at Sunday Hole was completed in February 2022. However, all plans were put on hold following the August 2022 extreme weather event.  

After the weather event, this project was no longer an upgrade project only. The work schedule now also included repairs to the path at both ends of the boardwalk and the replacement of a culvert, which was washed away during the storm.  

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith says it made sense to extend the scope of the project to include repairs of the storm damage but the original reason for the upgrade remained. 

“This project is part of better connecting Nelsonians to the Maitai River and Valley. We have spent millions building a wide, shared pathway along the Maitai River, but this short section was a bottleneck and down to just 1m wide. The safety concerns were made worse by the growth in popularity of mountain biking with some older pedestrians now not using it as they felt unsafe. The boardwalk doubles the width so mountain bikers and walkers can both feel safe.” 

Over the years, Council has received many complaints about this section of the path, especially as it is used by walkers, dog owners and mountain bikers. Nelson Mountain Bike Club Manager Mel Barker is thrilled the upgrade has been completed.  

“The Nelson Mountain Bike Club is rapt to hear that the upgrades to the Sunday Hole section of the Maitai Shared Pathway have been completed. Having this section of the trail widened will allow for safer use by the many user groups that like to enjoy the riverside path and Sunday Hole. This section of trail provides a key link between our mountain bike trails in the Maitai Valley and the City Centre. There will be many locals happy to hear it is open again.” 

Contractors encountered several challenges with this project, which involved matching a fixed structure to the environment.  

“It’s not like laying LEGO pieces together,” explains Nelson City Council Group Manager Community Services Andrew White.  

The existing trail and cliff face both presented challenges. Contractors would lay a small section then survey the next, carefully considering the cliff face, the direction of the existing trail and potential hazards for bike tyres, feet and handlebars. 

“The cliff face is jagged. The contractors would carefully cut the boardwalk panels to match the contour of the wall. If the panels weren’t fully aligned with the cliff face, then it would leave gaps where feet or tyres could get caught,” White says. 

Due to the location of the boardwalk, the design allows for the Maitai River to flood again. The wire balustrade has been designed to break away during a flood. This will relieve pressure on the balustrade and maintain the integrity of the structure while also saving it from washing downstream in a severe flood.  

The cost of the project, including the boardwalk and repairs to the storm damage was $475,000, of which $204,000 was funded by a grant from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).