Local businesses love it, but many SunLive readers can't stand the idea.

The recent announcement of the design for a new $6.5 million cycle/walkway bridge across the Wairoa River has been met with a range of responses.

Waimarino Adventure Park marketing manager Sam Cameron thinks it's a great project.

'It's good for the community and gives access right through from Bethlehem to Omokoroa. It's going to be a great asset for the area.

'Visually, it's really appealing as well.”

Nourish Café owner Carly Ward thinks the design is fantastic.

'I have seen the design, and I think it looks pretty cool. We have a lot of people who cycle out to us. In fact, we just had some cyclists in the weekend saying how great it would be once the cycle bridge is finished, because they'll be able to all meet at the café.

'It will really open up this side of the bridge.”

Heaven & Home owner Julie Bourke is delighted as well.

'I saw it on Facebook and I thought: best thing ever. It looks great. Tauranga needs this sort of thing as much as possible.”

Like Carly, Julie thinks it will be great for business, as people will be able to cycle over with ease.

Priority One communications manager Annie Hill agrees with the endorsements from businesses, calling it a 'wonderful initiative.”

'It's going to create something iconic for the sub-region, and will be attractive to both tourists and locals. People will actually come to Tauranga to use it.”

She says the cutting edge design will also promote Tauranga as a place of innovation.

However, many SunLive readers have expressed reservations about the project.

Commenters on the original story asked where the boat ramp has disappeared to, while others lamented their rates were being spent on something they would never use.

On Facebook, Tracey Gove commented suggesting the bridge was a waste of funds.

'Build some temporary housing or something useful with the money,” she says.

Michael Mckenzie's sentiments were similar, asking why the council is 'wasting money on a pointless bridge when there's families living in vans.”

Sarah Hall questions 'why would you build a bridge next to a bridge?” She suggests a ‘clip-on' footpath to the existing bridge would be a better idea.

Not all the community feedback is negative, however. Jake Jones argues 'if there was no money spent on the place to make it attractive to people to live here it would be a s***hole and we would have no money to spend in the first place.”

The bridge is expected to be completed by 2018.