Weekly update No. 16 Manawatū Gorge closure

This weekly update, 3 November 2017, is produced by the NZ Transport Agency to provide the latest information about the impact of the Manawatū Gorge closure and the development of an alternative transport corridor linking Manawatū, Tararua District, Hawke’s Bay and northern Wairarapa.

You are receiving this update because you either registered or you are on our stakeholder list. If you no longer wish to receive these updates, please unsubscribe.

We’re keen to hear your feedback and answer any questions you may have.  Drop us a line at manawatugorge@nzta.govt.nz and we will get back to you within 3 working days.

Workshop in Palmerston North on 2 November 2017

Workshop to assess short list options

Key stakeholders from local government, industry and iwi attended a workshop in Palmerston North this week as part of the assessment of the four short listed options.

The workshop brought together a wide range of views on perceived benefits and/or challenges of the various options.

The workshop followed the public submission period for the Manawatū Gorge alternative short listed options which ended last week. The public feedback and workshop outcomes will feed into a multi-criteria assessment of the four short listed options.  The criteria include transport performance, cost and constructability, culture and heritage, landscape and visual, social impacts and natural environment.

We will confirm a preferred approach for the Manawatū Gorge alternative route by mid-December.

You can find more information about the project on our website at www.nzta.govt.nz/manawatu-gorge.

Management of alternative routes

Next week we will be replacing the road pavement on the Woodville side of the Saddle Road. This will result in westbound lane closures all of next week on the Saddle Road between the hours of 9am-3pm.

Work sites will be under stop/go traffic management and we will provide daily updates on the electronic message boards. Please check out our Facebook page www.facebook.com/nztacni/ for the latest news and updates on the works.

Patch levelling work has been completed on the Pahīatua Track and next week we will be completing regular maintenance. Planned resurfacing will take place this summer as well. Over the next few weeks we will provide more information about the type of work and how it may impact your travel across the Pahīatua Track.

We continue to monitor the condition of both the Saddle Road and Pahīatua Track and quickly respond to any issues. We apologise for any delays you may experience on our alternative routes.

Work in Ashhurst

Adjustment to service covers took place earlier this week and a new surface has been laid on Mulgrave Street between Salisbury Street and Cambridge Avenue. We are currently planning the maintenance work along Wyndham Street and this, as well as further work on Mulgrave Street, will be carried out over the next few weeks.

Thank you for your feedback on the Worcester Street speed cushions. More speed cushions will be installed on the side streets between Salisbury Street and Cambridge Avenue.

Update on temporary bypass of Ashhurst & Woodville realignment

We continue to investigate the feasibility of options for the temporary bypass of Ashhurst. This work includes various tests to determine the suitability of possible options. We also continue to investigate the realignment options for Woodville. We appreciate both matters are front of mind for many of you and we will provide you with information as soon as there are new developments.

More information

For more information on the SH3 Manawatū Gorge 2017 closure, contact us at manawatugorge@nzta.govt.nz

Visit our website www.nzta.govt.nz/manawatu-gorge