Since then, anyone wanting to travel between Palmerston North and Woodville has hadto use Saddle Road or the Pahiatua Track.
Residents in Ashhurst have had to deal with thousands of vehicles and trucks travelling through their village day and night.
So it was a huge relief when the Government started work on a replacement road, Te Ahu a Turanga, and residents on both sides of the Gorge have been eagerly awaiting its completion.
As opening day draws near, I think many of us have been shocked to hear that NZ Transport Authority Waka Kotahi intends to impose a toll on the Manawatū Gorge replacement road.
Pavement crews putting down layers of asphalt in Cut 13 on Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatu-Tararua Highway.
Last week, I attended a packed public meeting in Woodville at which members of the community made their views very clear. They felt imposing a toll on this road would be a breach of trust, unfair and would have significant consequences on the well-being of locals.
The cost of construction of the road has already been paid for. The alternative routes are neither safe nor resilient in my opinion (just this week the Pahiatua Track was closed due to a slip).
The proposed tolls are at a level double most other tolls in New Zealand, at $8.60 for a round trip. The cost of maintenance of the alternative routes would fall back on local councils.
A public meeting is being planned for Ashhurst residents next week and I would expect their views to be similar.
There is only a short time for people to submit on the proposed toll to NZTA, so please do have your say.
Last week councillor Barrett and I successfully brought a notice of motion to Palmerston North City Council, so council will also now submit against tolling this road.
The final decision around tolls will rest with the Minister of Transport.
Still on the roading theme, the allocations of funding from NZTA for local roading have been announced, and, what I see as being a further blow to our community, our council has received less than half the co-funding we requested.
The Government’s Roads of National Significance project has sucked up a huge amount of the transport funding and as a result we have a shortfall over the next three years of about $73 million.
This will impact heavily on our ability to deliver the roading projects, including safety upgrades, agreed with our community through the recently finalised long-term plan.
