New section of road officially opened
‘‘A road that in the past has seen many deaths and serious injuries, but now that is much less likely given the straighter, the wider road.’’
A new section of road has been officially opened to replace one on which there had been many fatalities.
A ribbon was cut on February 24 to finalise the $17.6 million project that removed an overbridge and realigned a section of State Highway 3 north of Normamby.
Transport Minister Simon Bridges cut the ribbon, with the help of Hon Chester Borrows, and introduced the new stretch of road which he said would be beneficial for the region.
‘‘It is a much more efficient road, it is a much more resilient road than what was here, and I think most importantly it is a much safer road,’’ he said.
‘‘A road that in the past has seen many deaths and serious injuries, but now that is much less likely given the straighter, the wider road that we’ve put here.’’
The previous alignment of the section included some sharp curves and the 75-year-old overbridge.
The highly anticipated completion of the project resulted in the removal of the bridge as well as widening the shoulders of the road, creating a shorter, safer route for all.
South Taranaki mayor Ross Dunlop was very proud to celebrate the completed project.
‘‘This has been a wonderful effort by a whole lot of people to finally get today and cut the ribbon,’’ he said.
Dunlop said he had already had positive feedback about the road for the region.
‘‘Now when we drive back from the north and we come back down into Hawera / Normanby, it’s a totally different perspective of our town,’’ he said.
‘‘People are saying ‘hey, it looks really amazing’, and it really has in some ways changed the perception of entering this community.’’
Bridges said the project was identified as a priority in the 2012-2015 Regional Land Transport Programme for Taranaki.
‘‘You, the region, saw it very much as a priority in your regional plan,’’ he said.
Dunlop agreed. ’’I’d like to acknowledge the community for keeping the pressure on and making it a priority when it seemed that all was lost,’’ he said.