Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatū-Tararua Highway: Councillor who drove over it describes it as an ‘engineering marvel’

The Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatū-Tararua Highway is an “engineering marvel” with the views of Woodville from the top “jaw-dropping”.

That’s the opinion of Tararua District councillor Scott Gilmore, who got the opportunity – along with fellow councillors, including Mayor Tracey Collis – to drive the much-anticipated highway.

The $824 million road to replace the Manawatū Gorge through-route – connecting Wellington and Palmerston North with Tararua and Hawke’s Bay and beyond – is just months away from completion.

An opening date hasn’t yet been settled on, but is close.

“It’s an engineering marvel what they have been able to do – and it’s super, super smooth,” Gilmore said after driving it in a minivan on Monday.

He had watched the highway construction both up close and from afar and was looking forward to the road being opened for motorists.

“Literally, when I walk to my mailbox I can see the road forming, and it sort of looks from a distance that it is almost done and ready to be opened.”

He said they had been lucky enough to travel the highway as work progressed, but up until now it had looked and felt like a construction site.

“The thing that jumps out is it feels like a highway now.

Gilmore said it was great “being up there and seeing Woodville and seeing the district and just knowing what a difference this road is going to be”.

Scott Gilmore said views from the top of the highway were jaw-dropping.

The opening date for the safe and reliable link still “wasn’t imminent”, but he could tell construction was in its final stages, Gilmore said.

He described the tarmac as thick and said considerations had gone into the durability of the surface to ensure minimal damage.

“It is peaceful because it is sealed and it’s quiet.”

Gilmore said a sense of excitement was building in the community despite a temporary setback with a road toll proposal that was scrapped after the district’s opposition and the mayor’s refusal to take back the maintenance of three detour routes if the region’s replacement state highway was tolled.

Motorists faced the possibility of a $4.30 toll each way (and double that for heavy vehicles) on the new 11.5km stretch.

“We had the huge toll fight, which was a big one, but I suppose throughout that it highlighted how important this road is to people.”

He was excited to see the opportunity the new highway could bring for the townships, saying it would be a vital route for healthcare, employment and education.

“Businesses are excited – initially it’s going to bring a huge amount of extra traffic coming through, which is going to be so helpful to Woodville businesses and Dannevirke businesses and Pahiatua businesses.”

What’s been done and what’s left to do

The new Woodville roundabout linking State Highway 3 to the highway opened on March 28, ticking off another milestone.

Te Ahu a Turanga project spokesman Grant Kauri said a temporary speed limit would remain in place on the stretch, and the completion of work on the roundabout was yet another major milestone towards finishing.

“We expect to be able to release a more specific opening timeframe soon.”

Kauri said road users could expect to see crews return to the roundabout to apply a second coat of seal to the road in coming months.

“This is normal. When we rebuild a section of the road and apply a chipseal finish, we need to come back later to carry out a second coat seal. This locks in the seal to make it waterproof, keeps it stronger and safer for longer.”

Kauri said most of the highway was now covered with asphalt, both major bridges have completed bridge decks and the installation of wire rope barriers has started.

The highway build had a budget of approximately $824m, with the cost to be finalised once the project has been completed.

More than 2300 people have been inducted into the project since its beginning in 2021, and five iwi groups were involved, including Ngāti Kahungunu o Tamaki nui a Rua, Rangitāne o Manawatū, Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a Rua, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Kauwhata.

“Iwi staff on-site have played a major role across the construction period, particularly in environmental and ecological matters, such as stream diversions, defishing and planting.”

Stream diversions were formed to accommodate the large tuna (longfin eel) found in areas near the road and more than 3000 fish have been relocated during the project.

Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatū Tararua Highway is nearing completion with an expected date of mid-2025

Kauri said the build was complex and had challenges over its construction period.

The Parahaki Bridge presented one of these challenges because it was not straight and flat.

“It has a curve, a camber and a gradient, so each bridge-deck concrete pour was specifically designed and highly complex.”

The bridge is in a fast-flowing river that’s also on a fault line, and located between the Ruahine and Tararua ranges, which created a wind tunnel.

Kauri said there were number of projects to finish before the road can be officially opened.

Work is still being carried out on parts of the highway.

The project team are currently working on connecting the western roundabout (Ashhurst end) to the existing road network (SH57 Fitzherbert East Rd and SH3 Napier Rd).

He said this was expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

The last remaining piece of significant earthworks – a 100-metre stretch between Eco-Viaduct and Parahaki Bridge known as Cut 8 – is being completed, with pavement layers to be laid by the end of April.

Installation of mahi toi features across the highway was under way, and ongoing work is required to install barriers, carry out line marking and complete small sections of the Shared Use Path, which runs alongside the highway.

Kauri said there is also additional work occurring at lookout areas along the highway and in the Gateway Park, which is an area at the western end of the project that will provide a staging point for people looking to explore and enjoy Te Āpiti – Manawatū Gorge.

The project’s landscaping team have planted 1.5 million of its 1.8 million total planned native plants to date. In 2024, more than 440,000 native plants were planted. The remaining 300,000 plants will be planted this year.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.