Consortium ‘bamboozled’ by rejection
The man who led a consortium of contractors wanting to reopen the Manawatu¯ Gorge road within two years is ‘‘bamboozled’’ by transport officials’ rejection of the plan.
Consortium spokesman Les Fugle was convinced it would be at least $100 million cheaper, and three years faster to complete, than all four proposals on the NZ Transport Agency’s shortlist. The group’s idea was to raise the gorge road by 15 metres with the loose rock and dirt from the cliff face, and cut a ‘‘safety zone’’ to contain future slips.
But the NZ Transport Agency did not believe the plan would work. By the agency’s estimates, it would be far more expensive than the alternatives – and still wouldn’t prevent slips the size of the April’s, which led to the road being closed indefinitely.
Fugle said the consortium had multiple meetings with transport officials about the proposal. None had let slip the agency saw fatal flaws in the plan.
‘‘It doesn’t make sense... our option was quicker, cheaper and flatter.
‘‘We’re very surprised. Like all government departments, they kept things close to the chest.’’
Transport agency regional transport systems manager Ross I’anson said there were several reasons the plan was discounted.
The plan called for a retaining wall. But the agency judged it wasn’t viable to design and build a wall strong enough to hold up the higher road, and support future slips landing on the road.
I’anson said there was also no allowance in the plan for the 74 bridges and half bridges in the gorge.
‘‘When the agency included these, the actual cost of the proposal increased significantly.’’
And the raised road, even with the 15m safety zone, still wouldn’t be wide enough to keep the road open and safe long-term, he said.
‘‘Slips of similar size to this year’s Anzac weekend slip, and the 2011 slip, would still close the road.
‘‘The cost of earthworks to remove this risk would be considerably higher than any of the other options considered, and would significantly impact on the Department of Conservation reserve and walking tracks.’’
Fugle said the consortium had applied decades of local knowledge and experience to the plan.
‘‘I’m bamboozled by how they reached their decision. We very thoroughly estimated the cost at going commercial rates.’’
He said the consortium had accounted for the gorge bridges – the plan was to shift the route further away from the river at those points, so they were no longer needed.
And the raised road, and safety zone, had been worked out so that a slip the size of the 2011 one would not reach the road, he said.
‘‘The majority of the material from past slips was from halfway up the embankment.
‘‘If you raise the road, the volume of material in a slip above the road would be considerably reduced.’’ Fugle said the consortium would seek another meeting with transport officials to attempt to address concerns.
‘‘I don’t think all the options are being properly considered, which is understandable, given the time pressure.’’
Horizons Regional Council chairman Bruce Gordon said the region’s mayors had pushed to have the consortium’s proposal considered by the transport agency, in the hopes the gorge could be reopened sooner.
It was disappointing the plan had turned out to be unworkable, he said.