A key “gateway” between Palmerston North and the Tararua District — Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway — has opened to traffic this morning.
The 11.5km highway has officially become State Highway 3, replacing the old Manawatū Gorge Rd, which closed in 2017 following slips.
New Zealand Transport Agency project manager Grant Kauri said seeing the first vehicles travel the road this morning was a “special moment”.
“The closure of the Manawatū Gorge road had such a significant impact on people in Manawatū and Tararua. We know the surrounding communities have struggled with the closure so being able to build them a significantly more resilient, safer and efficient road has been a huge privilege.”
The speed limit would be 100km/h, with two lanes divided by a flexible median barrier.
From the west, the road crosses the Manawatū River over the 300m long Parahaki Bridge, and then over a viaduct, which takes motorists across an ecologically sensitive wetland complete with swamp maire and raupō.
The road then climbs through the Ruahine Range, with cuts to the hills of 55 metres and embankments 28 metres high – many of which are sloping backwards to minimise the risk of erosion.
The road weaves between the wind turbines, flanked by the shared user path on one side and thousands of new native plants along the highway. All up, more than 1.8 million plants have been added to the landscape – along the road and also away from it.
Kauri said the project was “so much more than a road”.
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“We worked as partners with five iwi who were represented at all levels of the project, including governance, management and operations. Their crucial role on the project can be seen in many areas but especially in the wetlands and stream diversions and in the array of stunning mahi toi artwork on the lookouts, structures and roundabouts.”
More than 2500 people were inducted to work on the project, while an even wider group of suppliers provided materials and equipment.
“Over the past few years, we’ve had so much support from communities on both sides of the gorge, they’ve been with us since day one and we’re truly grateful to everyone for being so patient with us.”
Communities excited for opening
Joy Kopa from Positively Woodville community group said residents and businesses in the town had been holding their breath for the opening.
“It is strange to think we now have a young generation who have never travelled through “the gorge” and have no memory of the road that served Woodville for so long. This new highway will be the new gateway to Tararua and Woodville is proud to be the town that welcomes travellers to our district.”
Central Economic Development Agency chief executive Jerry Shearman said the new road would unlock numerous long-term benefits for the region and the country.
“With Manawatū being home to one of the three key nodes of distribution and logistics in New Zealand, we’re beyond excited to have this significant piece of infrastructure completed. The new highway will bring transformative benefits to the Manawatū region and beyond, particularly in strengthening New Zealand’s national distribution and logistics network.”
The Western Gateway Park at the Ashhurst end of the highway was open to the public, but was expected to be fully completed later in 2025.
Construction staff will be working in areas away from the highway until later in 2025. This work includes completing the planting, creating recreational tracks at the western end of the highway and removing site offices and compounds.