The Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu¯ Tararua Highway project:
NChristine McKay
orsewood’s Kathryn Mulinder spends a lot of time on the road as a driver with the St John Health Shuttle service, so the unveiling of further plans for our new Manawatu¯ Tararua Highway is fantastic, she says.
“It’s bloody awesome and the sooner the better,” she said at an open evening in Dannevirke on Wednesday night.
“We (health shuttle) are affected a lot by the closure of the Manawatu¯ Gorge, but the new highway is going to be wonderful and I’ve full faith in NZTA to do the job right.”
Mulinder’s sentiments on NZ Transport Agency’s latest map and video flyover presentation were ech- oed by many in Dannevirke. “It’s fantastic,” Dave Harris said. And Stalky Law said it was interesting to see the safety measures NZTA will put into the new highway.
For Letitcia Jarrett, principal planner for the project, the new proposed access route is “quite exciting”.
Mulinder said she was over the “what ifs” and had found the NZTA very communicative, honest and open about plans and progress.
“I personally feel safer driving the Saddle Rd, than I did at times driving through the gorge and until they get the new highway I’m quite content with putting up with the inconvenience,” she said.
NZTA has identified some historic sites of significance it will need to work around.
These include the cemeteries near Ashhurst and Woodville, a grove of karaka trees, several pa¯ along the river and the historic road and rail corridors. It’s possible more sites of cultural significance could be found, such as storage pits, burial sites, 19th century homesteads or historic industrial sites.
“While we must build a new state highway through this corridor for a variety of environmental, economic ● The new highway link will run from the existing Ashhurst Bridge, cross the Manawatu¯ River again at the mouth of the Manawatu Gorge and wind uphill through the Ruahine Ranges on a route between the Saddle Rd and the gorge to rejoin the existing highway near Woodville.
● The highway will have a wire rope median barrier from the roundabout in Ashhurst to the roundabout west of Woodville.
● At Ashhurst there will be a four arm, two-lane roundabout to reconnect with State Highway 57.
● There will be a five-arm, single lane roundabout connecting with the existing State Highway 3 west of Woodville.
● The highway will be two-lane, single carriageway with crawler lanes in many places.
● There will be a 10-minute plus reduction in travel time between Palmerston North and Woodville.
● Main construction will start early 2020. and social reasons, we are committed to preserving our history in the region as best we can,” NZTA said in a brochure prepared for the public meetings.
And Jarrett said the new highway would increase access to views, with possible access to the river, viewing points and lookouts and enhancements to the Manawatu¯ Gorge Reserve.