The latest plan for bigger and better highways in Northland has road advocates cheering but rail enthusiasts dismayed.
The Transport Agency this week unveiled a proposal for a new road bypassing the Brynderwyn Hill south of Waipu.
Suzy Eskitt at her Northland property: She and her neighbours have already faced two years of road works, she says. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
The north side of the hill has been the scene of many fatal crashes over the years, and the Transport Agency recently completed $18 million in safety improvements, including new lanes and safety barriers.
The new route, as yet uncosted, would skirt around the hill to the west, making the journey between Northland and Auckland shorter and safer.
It would also make it significantly cheaper for road freight operators.
Brynderwyn locals say safety barriers create risk for users of this driveway. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams
The proposal for a faster route to Auckland was announced with enthusiastic endorsements from Whangarei National MP Shane Reti and the party's Northland candidate Matt King, who said it showed the government was delivering the infrastructure the region badly needed.
The chair of the region's transport committee, John Bain, said the bypass would be a game-changer for the north.
"The Brynderwyns are a block to Northland.
''It's quite a hurdle for people to get over, not only the tourists but also the heavy vehicles. The trucking industry has told me that just to go over the Brynderwyns is about $40 and that adds to the price of the freight going in and coming out on Northland."
The Transport Agency said there were two options for the bypass to the west of the State Highway 1 route.
It was already planning to revamp the highway from Whangarei, building four lanes as far south as Te Hana but the present road, on the south side of the Brynderwyns, is carved out of the side of the hill and cannot be widened.
The Transport Agency's Peter Clark said the bypass solved that problem.
"The main reason for the bypass is to improve the efficiency of the freight movement between Whangarei and Auckland," he said.
Save Northland Rail advocate Jack Craw said the bypass plan was out of the blue and smacked of electioneering.
"It seems doubly bizarre when you consider the millions NZTA has just spent doing up the north side of the Brynderwyns, [I believe] to even out the gradient for trucks. And now they're talking about a whole new road for trucks."
Mr Craw said NZTA should have to cost the bypass against the cost of doing up the neglected Northland rail line.
"It's just another slap in the face for rail in Northland," he said.
People living on the lower northern slopes of the Brynderwyn Hill were bemused by the bypass plan.
Resident Suzy Ettrick said she and her neighbours have put up patiently with two years of road works.
She said safety barriers had made it impossible for residents to turn right into their shared driveway.
They now had to go halfway up the hill to a newly-built viewing site, and a gap in the barriers, do a U-turn and drive back down.
She said that was frightening and many friends now refused to visit because they were terrified of the traffic
Even approaching the drive from the northbound lane to turn left was hazardous, she said.
"About 10 to 15 metres before our driveway, the speed limit says 100k, and people see that and put their foot down before they get to the sign and we're trying to turn into our driveway. Very scary, especially if it's a big truck behind you," she said.
Pete Clark said he was willing to talk to the Brynderwyn residents about their concerns.
John Bain said he watched traffic for an hour and he believed it was quite safe and the barriers were saving lives.
"Last time I spoke to the roading people they had repaired the steel wire lane divider up the middle on the north side 21 times," he said.
"So you can say that at least 21 people would have gone through into the opposite lane."
He said the bypass would divert heavy traffic, leaving the Brynderwyn Hill as the scenic route.
