Mt Messenger cableway nearer completion

The 1.1km Mt Messenger cableway is now a step closer to completion after the erection of two of the four 28-metre legs needed to carry it. The structure is going up on the former rest area at the summit of Mt Messenger, with the Mt Messenger Alliance team – which comprises Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Downer, HEB Construction, Tonkin+taylor and WSP – aiming to bring the cableway into operation early next year. Waka Kotahi principal project manager Chris Nally said: ‘‘When it’s ready for use, the cableway will transport our workers, machinery and equipment safely into the heart of the project area.’’ The legs were erected on Wednesday, and the remaining two will be put up soon, before the cable is run between the tower and anchor points to the north and south. This structure is a key part of the wider project to create a safer and more reliable 6km section of State Highway 3 in North Taranaki as part of the $280 million Mt Messenger Bypass.