Fox Rd neighbours want Fitzherbert Ave extended

Whanganui's Fitzherbert Ave is to be extended from here to Mosston Rd. Photo File / Stuart Munro

Colin Wise had a frightening experience in his own Fox Rd on a dark night - and says the Fitzherbert Ave extension can't happen soon enough for him.

He was driving home with a wide trailer at the point were Fox Rd narrows and loses its footpaths when he suddenly saw two girls walking in dark clothing, with their backs to him.

He made "an almighty swerve" and missed them, but it was a terrible experience.

"I nearly killed two girls and I got such a damn fright. I was shaking for an hour afterwards."

Fox Rd has become the quickest route to the industry in Rakau Rd for some, and people also use it to get to outer Castlecliff, taking Mosston Rd, Mill Rd and Manuka St. Heavy vehicles such as stock and concrete trucks have been using it - but it's not wide enough for two to pass each other.

Children use it to walk to school. But Wise won't let his daughter use it, even to walk to the shop in the daytime.

He was relieved to hear from Whanganui District Council senior roading engineer Brent Holmes that the council wants to finalise getting land for the extension before July this year.

After that it will consult, get consents and design the extension in the 2019/20 financial year. Building it could start in the 2020/21 financial year.

Fixing another traffic bugbear, a remaining section of Mill Rd will be sealed when stormwater renewal is completed, expected around October this year.

The Fitzherbert Ave extension will relieve a lot of congestion, Wise said, including some of the cars clustered around Tawhero School at 9am and 3pm.

"We've been waiting 25 years for this, and they keep deferring it, deferring it, deferring it. It's just really annoying."