Future roading in New Plymouth

I often wonder if the powers that be look far enough ahead when it comes to roading decisions, or are they even thinking of future roading requirements for New Plymouth city?

So thinking outside the box here are some of my ideas:

Bell Block to Waitara upgrade: I understand that the proposed upgrade will only be a single lane in each direction and only have single lane roundabouts.

This to me is fairly short sighted. Let’s do it once and do it right with four lanes, a median barrier and double roundabouts.

Yes the cost will be considerably more, but I suggest let’s forget about the Mt Messenger bypass and use that money (if it is still available, and I am not so sure that it is) and make the Bell Block to Waitara road as safe as is possible.

Mt Messenger is only a five minute wonder when you consider the sad state of SH3 from Urenui to PioPio. Far more people have been killed on the Bell Block to Waitara section than Mt Messenger, which must make this section far more important in my mind.

Perhaps then a concrete road option could be looked at for the southern side, which would reduce maintenance costs and would be cheaper than a bypass

There are big concrete laying machines that could be brought into the country and, combined with an on-site batching plant, a suitable depth concrete road could be constructed in a short time.

I know the transport association will be up in arms about this letter but what the hell; they will be doing 70 kilometres per hour soon and paying much more to do so.

Well this is the first in a series of letters I will be writing so keep an eye out because there are some thought-inspiring ideas

Barry Quin Waitara