Woodville resident of 30 years Julia Clarke, front left, during a heated debate with National MP Alastair Scott during Wednesday night's meeting in the Woodville
A sometimes heated public meeting in Woodville Wednesday night on the Manawatu Gorge and alternate routes was just the start of more public consultation, Ross I'Anson of NZTA says.
"Our chief executive has said we've got to tear on in and do it," he said, referring to options for another road corridor through the gorge.
"We will work as quickly as we can on long-term, alternative options."
Overnight Wednesday NZTA put out tender documents for investigations on the gorge route, with tenders closing in August.
"By September we'll know what those corridor options are," Mr I'Anson said.
More than 300 people from around Tararua packed Woodville's Sports Stadium to discuss, debate, demand answers and occasionally drowned out each other in an attempt to learn more about the future of State Highway 3 through the Manawatu Gorge, with accusations directed at NZTA of just "playing tiddley winks with the road".
Frustrations boiled over when some residents said they'd gone to the meeting to get a good dose of honesty, but didn't get it.
"We don't want talk, we want action," Woodville's Neil Brumby said.
Tararua District mayor Tracey Collis said the huge turnout showed residents' passion for the district and its issues.
"This is a national issue which affects more than half a million people," she said.
"But Tararua will become stronger and grow with a safer, secure route."
Emma Speight, New Zealand Transport Agency's director of regional relationship for the lower North Island, said they've heard "loud and clear" the significant impact the gorge closure was having, but promised when options were developed they would talk to Tararua District Council and the community.
"Our chief executive wants us to work quickly to keep the economy on both sides of the gorge ticking over," she said.
Tararua District deputy mayor Alan Benbow said he was continuing to push for a tunnel.
"It's surely time for us to be bold and ambitious," he said. "I believe a tunnel could be built in two years."
Ms Speight said there have been a lot of suggestions regarding a tunnel.
"We will have to look at the type of rock, the cost and the length of time to carry out the work, but tunnelling is definitely in the mix," she said.
Mr I'Anson said the problem NZTA has is there is a huge massive land movement in the gorge.
"We have been told to move as quickly as we can and while there are no guarantees, Woodville won't be bypassed. We will be working with the people of the town," he said.
With no government relief packages, one audience member asked about rates relief from the council and concerns were expressed about falling property values in Woodville.
However, Mrs Collis said she wasn't seeing any property value decrease at the moment.
"There is some pain, but it's short-term, with a couple of years before we find a solution. Anyone struggling with their rates can make a phone call to council."
Mrs Collis said a request would be made to central government to consider a lower regional petrol price and reduced road user charges, but she also suggested there could be an option for a commuter train service to Palmerston North.
But a major concern since the gorge closure has been around the time it takes for ambulances to respond to emergencies.
Woodville's Dwayne Black said soon after the gorge closed, his 9-month-old daughter choked and inhaled food and vomit into her lungs. It took one and a half hours for an ambulance to arrive.
Mrs Collis said her council would be asking St John and the MidCentral DHB to increase the number of ambulances in the region.
"When we lost the Dannevirke hospital services part of the deal was we were within roughly 30 minutes of Palmerston North Hospital. That's clearly not the case at the moment, so we will be raising that with the DHB."
The safety of motorists using the Saddle Rd and other alternate routes was also an issue.
"It scares the s*** out of me going over the Saddle ... those idiots in cars doing 100 kilometres an hour," Hamish Brown said.
* NZTA hope in the next four days to have all the current maintenance completed and the road open both ways, but it is weather dependent. * Last Saturday seven work crews were on the Saddle Rd. * A new roading corridor is planned, taking traffic off the Saddle Rd and along Woodlands Rd and through Woodville. This requires land purchase before it can go ahead. * Signs indicating slow traffic to pull into the inside lane on the Saddle Rd are to be erected. * More police will be covering the Saddle Rd. * A suggestion to reduce the speed limit over the Saddle Rd is being considered, along with double yellow lines. * Stock truck effluent is becoming an issue, with the current off-loading zone at the entrance to the Manawatu Gorge and NZTA are trying to find a solution.