Mary Shanahan
A flyover at the Prebensen Drive/Hyderabad Road intersection could go ahead as early as next year after moving to top ranking in a reordering of Hawke's Bay roading projects.
Eleven projects identified by the Hawke's Bay Regional Traffic Study have been revised following a round of consultation involving stakeholders and community groups.
The report by a technical advisory committee, adopted by the Regional Traffic Forum last week, will now be referred to the Regional Land Transport Committee which will undertake further consultation.
The committee will consider the rankings in light of a Government request about how to spend $70 million which could be available to the region as a result of a five-cent petrol tax being imposed from April 1 next year.
The study originally recommended the four-laning of Prebensen Drive to the expressway and an associated overpass at Hyderabad Road be done in the medium term, between 2016 and 2026.
The new ranking also provides a shorter-term, 10-year horizon for:
* a Whakatu-Tomoana link; * a Whakatu outlet; * the Hastings northern arterial; and * Awatoto-expressway link.
Other projects likely to go ahead in the longer term are:
* four-lane expressway - Omahu Road to Pakowhai Road with southern extension; * the Hastings southern arterial; * a flyover at Pakowhai; * four-lane expressway - Pakowhai to Kennedy Road; * four-laning Kennedy Road from Riverbend Road to Wellesley Road; and * four-lane expressway - Kennedy Road to Prebensen Drive.
When the study was released in May, it suggested a short-term framework up to 2016 for five projects - the Whakatu-Tomoana link, the Whakatu outlet, four- laning Kennedy Road and the Hastings northern and southern arterials.
Medium-term projects, from 2016 to 2026 were the Pakowhai/expressway flyover and four-laning Prebensen Drive to the expressway with the Hyderabad overpass.
For the long-term, beyond 2026, four-laning the expressway from Omahu Road to Pakowhai with southern extension and from Pakowhai Road to Kennedy Road were suggested projects.
Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott said the new report honed the original study and brought some certainty to people with an interest in the traffic flow issues.
Initiated by Mrs Arnott, the study involved the Hawke's Bay Regional Council, Transit New Zealand, Transfund New Zealand and the Napier and Hastings councils, and attracted 22 submissions.
Ahuriri residents, the Napier Heavy Traffic Community Forum, Marine Parade residents and businesses, the Citizens' Environmental Advocacy Centre, the Central Road Transport Forum, and heavy industry interests were among those who took part in seven focus-group meetings.
Prebensen flyover could start next year
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