Scott Illingworth and Megan Clarkin are both strongly against the NZTA's decision to shut the underpass with no option of another one. Photo / George Novak
Scott Illingworth and Megan Clarkin are both strongly against the NZTA's decision to shut the underpass with no option of another one. Photo / George Novak
Mount Maunganui residents upset at an NZ Transport Agency decision to cancel a Bayfair underpass are taking the matter to Parliament.
The transport agency confirmed it would no longer build a new Maunganui Rd underpass as part of the Baypark to Bayfair project because of the $33m cost and extendedtimeframe. The existing underpass, popular with school students and commuters, will be demolished in September.
Chairwoman of the Arataki School board Megan Clarkin said she, parents and advocacy groups were already in the process of drafting an open letter to Parliament to express their disappointment. A petition was also in the works.
Clarkin said the underpass was right in the school's zone and loads of children used it each day.
She said school families were devastated. The whole thing "flies in the face of common sense".
"... There is no doubt in mind that someone is going to get hurt."
Bike Tauranga chairman Kevin Kerr said he was "extremely disappointed" as he and others had worked so hard to campaign for the underpass to remain open.
Kerr said his phone had been "running hot" as many upset residents called him about the news.
"It's not just about the cyclists, it affects people on mobility scooters, pedestrians and many others."
Kerr believed the crossing would cause a nightmare for traffic, which was already an issue in the area.
According to the transport agency, the number of people using the underpass between 2011 and 2017 increased by more than 70 per cent.
Bike Tauranga's Kevin Kerr said he was "extremely disappointed" about the outcome. Photo / File
Parent Scott Illingworth said the closure would leave him with "worry and fear" when sending his children to school.
Tauranga City councillor Rick Curach used the underpass regularly but said with the high-cost forecast for the project was too much. Dropping the underpass was "just the reality of the situation".
Curach said people should consider plans for an overpass that was proposed in the area after the project was complete and would be "cheaper and just as effective".
Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said the removal of the underpass was disappointing as it had a lot of community support and so many people used it "safely navigate the area by foot and bike".
Brownless said it was quite contradictory of the Government to advocate nationally for people to get out of their cars, but to take away such a vital project that allowed them to do that.
A media spokesman for Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the design details for individual projects were an operational matter for the transport agency and would not comment further.
Transport agency senior project delivery manager Andrew Thackwray told the Bay of Plenty Times the initial cost of $13 million was an estimate. However, after determining the detailed design it was clear it would be a lot more expensive and take more time.
The process confirmed the construction of the underpass would be "highly complex" and identified "extra-contractual costs that exceeded the available funding", he said.
When asked how many lanes of traffic pedestrians and cyclists were now expected to navigate, Thackwray said they would use three sets of signalised crossing points installed near the existing underpass to cross Maunganui Rd.
Centre manager at Bayfair shopping centre Steve Ellingford said he did not expect the closure to affect business and the transport agency had set up a cost-effective solution for pedestrians.
NZ Transport Agency's reasons for removing the Maunganui Rd underpass - Structurally, it needed to support the weight of the bridge approach ramps above it. - The ground below needed improvements to ensure stability and earthquake safety. - It would need to be built in stages, moving lanes back and forth to keep the state highway moving. -The significant extension of time costs the transport agency would incur - The $33m price tag
What do you think about NZ Transport Agency's decision to get rid of the underpass?
Clifford Alker, 67, Bayfair. Photo / George Novak
"I'd be happy to use a signalled crossing." Clifford Alker, 67, Bayfair
Misha Watson, 19, Bayfair. Photo / George Novak
"I'd prefer to keep the underpass. There are already traffic signals everywhere and an underpass is far easier."
