Green Light Given for Northern Outlet Transport Investigation

This afternoon the New Zealand Transport Agency has given the green light for a detailed investigation into improving New Plymouth’s northern traffic route from Vickers Road to Eliot Street.

The nine-month investigation follows a strategic transport review in 2006/07 which highlighted the need to improve the route through the Waiwhakaiho Valley and into the city.

Mayor Peter Tennent says news of the NZTA funding is a major step forward for the region.

“This detailed investigation is critical because we can’t build an improved route that will meet current and future needs without an in-depth investigation taking place first,” he says.

“We shouldn’t raise our hopes too high because getting the go-ahead for the investigation is no guarantee that capital works will be done at some point. However this detailed investigation is a necessary first step on the road to future possible construction.”

NPDC General Manager Community Assets Anthony Wilson says senior Council officers will join NZTA personnel on the investigation’s control group.

“Part of the investigation will include identifying what extra land purchases are required, and then land acquisition and consents would have to be worked through.

“The investigation itself will take nine months but if we eventually get the go-ahead for construction, the entire project would take a few years,” says Mr Wilson.

Mayor Pete says it was a ‘team Taranaki’ approach that made this possible.

“We’ve got to give huge thanks to the Transport Minister Stephen Joyce for backing this investigation and to NZTA for giving their support, and to Council officers who have worked hard over the years to get us to this point,” says the Mayor.

“But it’s also the result of 105,000 folk in Taranaki who made it clear how important it is to change the city’s northern route from a bottleneck to a smooth-flowing transport system.

“We’ve now got the second leg of the trifecta in place. The first leg was the Bell Block bypass construction and the second leg is funding for this northern outlet investigation.

“The third leg will be the construction of the improved northern outlet, and my focus is on getting this project to a shovel-ready position so that if any other major road projects in the country are delayed, we’re ready to step into the NZTA programme.”

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