Taranaki mayors and the transport sector are calling for the government to fund a $25 million transformation of a back country road to solve the region's costly road closure problem.
By Robin Martin of RNZ
The Awakino Gorge on State Highway 3 has been closed nine separate times over the past 12 months, sometimes for multiple days at a time.
An Infometrics report commissioned by Venture Taranaki puts the direct cost to businesses and individuals forced to take alternative routes because State Highway 3 is closed at up to a million dollars a day.
Frustration over the situation has locals taking a closer look at a detour along what is currently a single-lane metal road. They want the government to stump up the money to overhaul Taumatamaire Road so it could be used whenever the fragile gorge is closed.
Just a few hundred metres off Ladies Mile at Awakino, at the intersection with that road, you're greeted with a sign warning of what's to come.
Spelt out in capital letters - black on yellow - is the message "Caution, extreme care needed - narrow winding road next 22 kilometres - not suitable for heavy vehicles".
Along for the ride with RNZ is local identity Bryan Lester - aka the Mōkau Butcher. He's familiar with the route.
"Taumatamaire Road, I use it mainly just for pig hunting or as an alternative to get around the gorge when it's shut.
"There's quite a few corners on the road, but to be honest it's a nice drive. It's not dangerous.
"Once you get up on to the top it's all beautiful table top land. The views are outstanding, they're amazing."
He could even imagine the state highway being relocated here.
"I think it makes more sense to have the road up here. It's not as prone to slipping, undercuts and everything.
"I think because we are up on top we're not through a gorge where you're going to get continual water flow, water movement, the land itself moving."
Locals say it was the seventh time the gorge has closed in 12 months due to severe weather, with fears some businesses won’t be able to keep going. (Source: 1News)
Waitomo mayor John Robertson backed the idea of upgrading Taumatamaire Road.
"I think getting a bypass route when the Awakino Gorge is closed by slips is really important. Important for the trucking industry, important for the general public and Taumatamaire Road seems to be the obvious choice."
He found it ironic so much money was available for the Mt Messenger Bypass further south towards New Plymouth, but there was a reluctance to commit funds to Taumatamaire Road.
"The Crown is spending, I don't know, $800 million or maybe it's going to be a billion dollars on Mt Messenger.
"So, here we are investing a huge amount on State Highway 3 in the southern part and having an Awakino Gorge section that, you know, collapses from time to time."
Chris Wise, boss of Mōkau earthmoving firm Wise Contracting, was a fan of the idea too.
"To me it's a no-brainer. Of course it's going to be a lot of money, but there's no rail link north of New Plymouth, so you need a pretty resilient road," he said.
The government committed $50 million to upgrading Awakino Gorge as part of a roading resilience package announced in the Budget.
Dom Kalasih, head of the industry group Transporting New Zealand, questioned whether the money would be better spent on making Taumatamaire Road an emergency detour.
He said the gorge being closed costs the transport sector $640,000 a day.
"Doing the benefit cost, if $25 million has to be invested to upgrade Taumatamaire Road the break-even point for that is four days of closures a year."
A four-day closure is currently scheduled between 22-29 August to allow contractors to install culverts at the site of a major slip which came down during a storm event in April. That storm also closed the road for several days.
In a statement, the Transport Agency said it recognised State Highway 3 was a critical connection between Taranaki and Waikato and was in regular contact with local government and transport sector representatives regarding work in the area.
"Our crews continue to be focused on safely restoring two-lane access on SH3 though Awakino Gorge as quickly as possible. We know how important this link is."
Waka Kotahi said discussions about how to invest the $50 million earmarked for SH3, including the assessment of potential resilience options, were currently underway.
"Any local road options would require careful consideration, as any route intended to operate as a safe and reliable detour for Awakino Gorge traffic would likely require significant investment.
"In this particular instance, Taumatamaire Road is a narrow single-lane, winding gravel road that is unsuitable for the volume and weight of traffic carried by SH3 and, as it is a locally managed road, any investment in it would be shared with local councils."
NZTA said a business case would also need to be prepared before it could make any funding decision on a Taumatamaire Road overhaul.
The Transport Agency said when SH3 was closed SH1 and SH4 were the best alternative routes and the only routes suitable for heavy freight vehicles.
"SH43 [the Forgotten World Highway] is not a nominated detour route due to its alignment, physical characteristics and isolation."
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