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172 days ago

Minister pushes ahead with Woodend Bypass, toll considered

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Transport Minister Simeon Brown has given the green light for planning to begin on the long-awaited Woodend Bypass, with a toll among the funding options being considered.

Brown joined Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey at the Pegasus Roundabout in Canterbury on Friday to announce planning will begin on the Belfast to Pegasus Motorway, which includes the bypass on State Highway 1.

It was one of the first seven projects in the Roads of National Significance signalled in the Government Policy Statement.

The announcement allows NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to begin planning the route, design work and costing the project.

‘‘It will help boost productivity and facilitate the faster movement of freight across New Zealand,’’ Brown said.

‘‘Locally, the Woodend Bypass is important for Christchurch, Canterbury and the South Island.

‘‘This project has been talked about for too long and we going to get it back on track.’’

State Highway 1 currently cuts through the town of Woodend, slowing traffic and raising safety concerns.

Brown said more details would be included in the National Land Transport Plan, which is due to be released in September.

The agency has been asked to consider all funding options, including a road toll and public-private partnerships.

‘‘I am expecting tolling assessments to be made for every Road of National Significance,’’ Brown said.

‘‘If tolling is what is recommended, we will do it.’’

Waka Kotahi regional relationships director James Caygill said the agency had been waiting for the minister’s announcement.

‘‘He has told us to ‘get on with it’ and now we can go out and talk to landowners, and go out and re-look at the route and see what has changed in the last 10 years.

‘‘Ravenswood wasn’t here 10 years ago and there has been a lot of growth.’’

A route to the east of Woodend, from Pine Acres, north of Kaiapoi, to the Pegasus Roundabout was designated for the Woodend Bypass by Waka Kotahi in 2014.

Caygill said the Pegasus Roundabout would need to be replaced and the agency was aware of two shingle pit lakes near Pine Acres, which would all be considered in the design process.

A pedestrian and cycle underpass between Pegasus and Ravenswood, and proposed cycle ways linking Woodend with Pegasus and Kaiapoi were also ‘‘on the table’’, he said.

Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said the Woodend Bypass was a priority for the district.

‘‘The minister’s message is very clear. We welcome that direction and we want to see it completed.

‘‘The community has been waiting for a long time.

‘‘This is probably the largest roading project our district has seen.’’

Gordon said the council looked forward to seeing the detailed design and was ready to partner with Waka Kotahi to see the bypass delivered.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

Worst Xmas ever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.

Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...

Share your Christmas mishaps below!

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14 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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12 hours ago

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