Virtual tour of new highway looks good but name an issue
A virtual flight over the proposed new State Highway 3 replacement for the Manawatu¯ Gorge route has been released, and Palmerston North mayor Grant Smith is a fan.
But he said the name – Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu¯ Gorge Replacement Route Project – had been chosen without consultation, and did not reflect the significance of the new road. Smith said the new eastwest expressway – much of it with four lanes – was nationally important, not just some sort of plan B to deal with the gorge closure.
‘‘We will be pushing back strongly about that.’’
SH3 through the gorge has been closed since April last year and the route has since been shut indefinitely. Officials have marked out the rough path for a new road.
The indicative route running over the hills between the gorge and the temporary alternative route over the Saddle Rd gives an idea of where the road will be built, and what it might look like.
New Zealand Transport Agency project manager Lonnie Dalzell said the route ran from near the western entry to the closed gorge route, over the Manawatu¯ River and across the Ruahine Range to reconnect to SH3 at Woodville.
The agency said it named the project in recognition of the spiritual, cultural and historical significance of the land near where work has been taking place.
Smith said the route was impressive, with a flatter gradient than he imagined possible, and with four lanes for most of the distance.
He said it provided a sense of excitement that the project was real. ‘‘It can’t start soon enough.’’
Smith said the city council wanted more detail about how connections for cyclists across the Manawatu¯ River and recreational access to Te A¯ piti would be achieved. ‘‘And the viaduct [across the river approaching the new route] could be a real statement with a lot of visual appeal.’’
Dalzell said geotechnical investigations along the proposed corridor of the replacement route had been carried out.
In total, 15 boreholes, the deepest being 50 metres, yielded 530m of core samples, which have now been sent to the lab for testing.
‘‘The ground core samples will provide further understanding of the area and key information for the project as we refine our knowledge and continue the investigation of the proposed corridor.’’