Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway
 | |
|---|---|
| Te Ahu a Turanga–Manawatū Tararua Highway | |
| Route information | |
| Maintained by NZ Transport Agency | |
| Length | 11.5 km (7.1 mi) |
| Status | Under construction |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Highway system | |
The Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway is a 11-kilometre-long (7-mile), four-lane highway under construction connecting Ashhurst and Woodville over the Ruahine Range following the closure of the Manawatū Gorge road in 2017. Construction began in January 2021 and completion is scheduled for mid 2025.[1][2]
History
[edit]Manawatū Gorge road
[edit]
Previously, traffic travelling from the east and west of the central North Island[3] used the Manawatū Gorge road, first opened in 1872.[4] The road closed in 2004 and 2015, and also from 2011 to 2012 that lasted more than a year. On 24 April 2017, a slip from the Tararua Range cut off the road. Following more slips as workers were trying to fix previous ones, the NZ Transport Agency pulled workers from the area because of safety concerns. It was never reopened. Before the gorge road closed, around 7,600 vehicles used the route daily, about 1,100 of which were trucks.[5] Traffic has since been forced to use the windy and steep Saddle road and Pahiatua Track road.[6]
Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Te Ahu a Turanga – Manawatū Tararua Highway". NZTA.
- ^ Kauri, Grant (28 July 2024). "Landscaping season in full swing on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway". NZ Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "Te Ahu a Turanga – it started with a slip". NZTA. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ Tuckey, Karoline (12 October 2017). "Looking back at 145 years of the Manawatū Gorge road". Stuff. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "How many vehicles used the gorge road when it was open?". NZTA.
- ^ Lawrence, Kirsty (19 July 2017). "Manawatu Gorge closure causes strain on two towns". Stuff. Retrieved 28 August 2024.