It was supposed to be an idyllic landmark, a walkway and cycleway connecting Auckland's Onehunga and Māngere suburbs, but now the unruly behaviour at the newly revamped Māngere Bridge has locals staging late-night roadblocks to keep their neighbourhood safe.
If you’re planning to cross the newly revamped Māngere Bridge late Friday or Saturday night expect to be turned back at a roadblock, not by police, but rather nearby residents.
The reason - broken glass and loud music of overnight partygoers have left them sleepless and anxious ever since the old bridge was reopened on August 27.
Resident Malcolm Turner says they’re blocking road access as a last resort, police complaints did little to keep the peace.
“The person down here deserves the same sleep as the person who lives further away."
Others say they want to prevent a repeat of the past.
In 2019, they complained to police about the same behaviour, they say they were ignored - only after a fatal shooting on the bridge did police act.
This time, locals don't want to wait for more violence before something's done.
One resident who didn’t want to be named says they’re considering installing cameras and extra lights.
“Because it's scary you don't know what's going on,” she said.
“We all remember the shooting in 2019 and I’m not so keen this happens in my front yard.”
One local even put her home on the market, but while these actions seem drastic, psychologist Jacquie Maguire says it's a typical response to trauma.
“You're talking about a threat to security, a sense of safety, a sense of peace, people want to try and regain control.”
“What we don't want is for good intentions to get misaligned or to go wayward."
But those blocking traffic say they only want to pressure Auckland Council into stationing a permanent roadblock of their own.
A council spokesperson said they understand locals' concerns and want to work with them to craft solutions at a meeting next week.
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