New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is building a 1.3km shared use path between Little River to Cooptown - It is the first of two stages and will cover from Church Road to Puaha Road. Higgins will undertake the work and construction is expected to take about 8 weeks to complete.

State Highway 75 is the primary transport connection from Little River and Cooptown to Christchurch and other Banks Peninsula communities. There are no alternative local roads, which means that the state highway is the only option for pedestrians and cyclists to use, and a narrow shoulder creates a safety risk for residents and visitors.

During consultation with the community in 2014, the Little River Big Ideas; A Community Plan for Little River and Cooptown was prepared. Residents expressed concern about road safety and the lack of provision for safe walking and cycling between the two communities and there was strong support for Little River to become a walking/cycling-based recreation hub.

The Banks Peninsula Community Board has been a strong advocate for this shared use path project and for better walking and cycling facilities in the area along with the Little River Wairewa Community Trust.

Community Board chair Lyn Leslie and Little River Wairewa Community Trust chair Anthony Rimel attended a blessing of the site that was performed by members of Wairewa Rūnanga.