“It will be lovely to see, with Prime Minister [Chris] Hipkins in there, the approval to complete this next piece.”
Close to $80 million has been spent buying properties to make way for the motorway, with 64 of the 175 needed already being acquired by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
Whanganui & Partners chief executive Hannah Middleton said the projects that comprised the Wellington northern corridor provided essential enhancements to connectivity between Whanganui and the capital.
That benefited local businesses.
“Ongoing development of national infrastructure helps futureproof our regional and national economies,” Middleton said.
“There are numerous benefits for Whanganui, such as the improved accessibility for sectors like advanced manufacturing, logistics and agri-business in addition to the potential visitors that are brought within closer reach of us.”
Middleton said it also helped with developing relationships with the likes of those in Horowhenua.
“We have complementary strengths which can enable even greater outcomes.”
“It’s obviously been an interesting engineering challenge and I want to say well done to them.
“There seems to be a bit of a problem with having to redo a couple of things, which expands the cost, but hopefully Peka Peka is a better result for everybody.”
Whitlock Freight owner Wendy Hawkins said the trip to Wellington seemed to take longer and longer in years gone by, but the recent works had made a positive difference.
“I think the biggest thing is actually having a choice,” Hawkins said.
“There have been times in the past where the road has been totally blocked and our trucks haven’t been able to get to Wellington at all.
“There are still a few bottlenecks but when they’re gone, it will get better and better.”
In terms of road rage, traffic frustration and attention to detail while driving, everybody would benefit from the new piece of road, McCarthy said.
“People must be happy with the values they’ve received for their land, so bring it on, that’s what we say.
“I’m still really concerned at the road toll and the way it is, and the reports and video footage we get back from our trucks show a lot of people not paying attention to what they’re doing.
“Anything straighter, wider and easier to pass must, in theory, be safer and better for the motoring public.”
Hawkins said her drivers left for Wellington between 3.30am and 4am so they could leave again by 10am or 11am.
“They are out of there pretty quick smart now, it’s not very often they’re held up.
“We’ve been hanging out for this for a long time. I lived in Wellington when I was a teenager and I remember them talking about Transmission Gully back then.
