Katikati bypass included in Long Term Plan consultation

A local road option for a Katikati bypass may be considered by Western Bay of Plenty District Council as part of its 2021-2031 Long Term Plan (LTP) consultation. Photo / File

A local road option for a Katikati bypass may be considered by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council as part of its 2021-2031 Long Term Plan (LTP) consultation.

Council's Performance and Monitoring Committee this week made a recommendation to council for the multimillion dollar bypass around the town centre to be progressed for further investigation and inclusion in the LTP and Regional Land Transport Plan.

The recommendation comes in response to the Katikati Bypass not being funded in successive National Land Transport Plans and now being unsuccessful as a shovel-ready project through the Government's Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) economic stimulus process.

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The local road bypass will be included in phase two of Council's LTP that will go out for informal community engagement in September. This will inform the development of any formal proposal for inclusion in the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.

The option comprises a two-lane highway leaving SH2 north of Busby Rd and following an alignment west of the town to re-join SH2 at Wharawhara Rd. Right turn bays at each end of the bypass would enable access to town while providing uninterrupted traffic flow along the bypass.

The option includes a request for assistance from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to subsidise the local road option since the option of full Transport Agency funding is currently not successful.

The committee also recommended that the council investigate purchasing the land corridor in order to get the project to a shovel-ready state.

Western Bay mayor Garry Webber supported the recommendation but said any decision would involve significant public consultation and would have to flow through the Regional Land Transport Plan if it was to have any chance of being seriously considered.