New route v improvements

Re: Cost of work at Mt Messenger versus improvements to SH3 North. I read with interest and totally agree with Jim Tucker’s article in the Daily News, Saturday, January 12.

I have been a long-time advocate that the amount of money proposed on Mt Messenger, which is just a blip in the road north to Piopio, is a waste of money and have expressed these views through this media on occasions. In his article, he had some costs for various other works that could be done with the money.

I would prefer that a lot of money be spent on passing lanes and the estimates varied from $500 to $800,000 each and I would expect that the minimum length be 800m. Round this up to $1 million per kilometre and it would cost $145 million to basically three-lane the entire 140km from NP to Piopio, take away the lengths of road which already have three lanes, sections that it would just be too expensive to three-lane, and the section or road between Bell Block and Waitara – which is subject to its own funding. If the total funds proposed for both projects were combined, I would suggest that Bell Block to Waitara could be fourlaned, with double-laned roundabouts and most 90 per cent of the remaining route to Piopio threelaned. Would the majority of Taranaki people, including truckies, prefer the Mt Messenger project or what I have just proposed? I know my answer, but I am extremely biased

Barry Quin, Waitara