Ngā Hau Māngere

Ngā Hau Māngere replaces a much-loved asset, after which an entire suburb is named, at the end of its design life and at risk of failure. The old bridge closed to traffic in the 1970’s was wide, generous, and accommodated a mix of active modes, recreational activities and functioned as public space, each contributing value to the local communities. There was a desire for Ngā Hau Māngere to do the same. People have always crossed the Māngere inlet in this location. Mana Whenua artist Sunnah Thompson talked of boards being laid over deeper channels to allow whānau Māori to cross between Te Hopua-a-Rangi and Te Pane o Mataoho. A wooden bridge was built in the 1880’s and the old bridge in 1915. Ngā Hau Māngere is then at least the fourth bridge to span these waters since the tupuna Hape voiced his famous karanga to the Tainui waka as it crossed the Ōtāhuhu portage into the Manukau. Waka Kotahi began engagement with the Māngere Bridge and Onehunga communities in the mid 2000’s and concurrently with Mana Whenua particularly iwi of the Te Waiohua Confederation and via the Tamaki Makaurau Southern Iwi Integration Group. The design was awarded in 2013 with drawings completed by the end of 2015 – a hiatus ensued as the impacts of other proposed infrastructure were considered however with political changes and the closure of the old bridge the construction commenced with Ngā Hau Māngere opening in August 2022.