“We’ve had a couple of near-misses, when people have tried to pass us at the end of passing lanes and that kind of thing.
“Having a double-laned highway will alleviate all that.”
Travelling over the saddle instead of through the gorge had resulted in higher fuel costs so any new road was a good road, he said.
Whanganui MP Carl Bates said the new highway was a much-needed project for logistics and tourism, and would improve the loop from Taranaki, through Whanganui and across to Hawke’s Bay.
Last month, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said general traffic would take between 10 and 12 minutes to drive the new road, down from the 20 to 25 minutes currently.
The corridor was an important freight link between Hawke’s Bay-Wairarapa and the Manawatū-Whanganui regions, he said.
Hoskin said “a fair bit of industry goes on in Whanganui”.
“For the central region, we need that road, especially for the Napier Port.
“A lot of freezing works are still going over that way and a lot of that product comes back this way.”
Automobile Association Whanganui chairman Russell Cameron said he was thrilled about the new highway.
“There are so many benefits, and a really exciting time for motoring in the southern half of the North Island because it is the connector,” he said.
“I went on a tour about halfway through the build and some of the cuttings and bridges are amazing.
“People are going to say ‘Wow’.”
He said the new highway would save travel time, especially for those currently getting stuck behind heavy vehicles on the Saddle Road.
Hoskin said the highway would mean less frustration for motorists.
“Over the Saddle Rd, there are a few passing lanes and that’s it.
“People don’t like getting stuck behind trucks and drivers don’t like holding them up, but they can only pull over at certain places.”
The Saddle Rd had been upgraded as a result of the gorge closure, he said.
“Now we have a better alternative if the new road has to be shut. It’s a win-win, isn’t it?”
In 2019, the project was expected to cost $620m.
A proposal for a $4.30 toll each way (and double that for heavy vehicles) on the new highway to help cover the extra costs was scrapped by the Government in December.
Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said getting people and products in and out of Whanganui was something he was passionate about, and anything that made it easier, faster and safer was a positive.
“We [Whanganui District Council] didn’t have to pay for it either, so that’s good for us,” he said.
“I think we can mature our transport logistics hub here in Whanganui – sea, air, rail and road – to better connect to subregions, regions and the world.
“That will be important for our future.”
Hoskin said some people may still go over the saddle when the new road opened but “I’m sure you won’t see a truck on there unless he has to be”.
“Look at Transmission Gully when it first opened.
“Most stayed on it and the people who went the other way, around the bays, had a road that was a lot quieter.
“It’s just safer all around.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
