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
Manawatū Gorge road
Manawatū Gorge road, c.1891
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
In March 2018, the route was confirmed as the preferred option, running north of the old gorge, between Ashhurst and Woodville and had an estimated NZD$350m–$450m cost at the time.[7][8] Construction began in January 2021 and completion is scheduled for mid 2025 with a estimated final cost $620 million.[9][2][10][11]
Toll proposal
In August 2024, a tolling proposal was made by the New Zealand Transport Agency, following a government policy to increase new revenue streams for transport infrastructure. NZTA suggested $4.30 per trip for light vehicles and $8.60 for heavy vehicles.[12] Many Woodville residents opposed the tolling, including cost of living concerns.[13]
