Wellingtonians 'so excited' to try out Transmission Gully
Wednesday, 30 March 2022
What you need to know / Kia mōhio mai koe:
Transmission Gully has been officially opened by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
The new motorway is scheduled to open to motorists on Thursday, it is understood this will be at 3am
The Māori name for the 27-kilometre road is Te Ara Nui o Te Rangihaeata, gifted by Ngāti Toa
The road is the newest part of State Highway 1 and will replace the coastal route which is now State Highway 59
It has been delayed by almost every conceivable disaster - weather, earthquakes, surface flooding and, of course, a pandemic
Planning to drive Transmission Gully on Thursday? Let us know on news@dompost.co.nz
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says Transmission Gully is “an engineering marvel” which will benefit the whole country, not just local communities.
Ardern officially opened the new stretch of highway with a ribbon-cutting on Wednesday morning and the motorway will open to the public on Thursday. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the motorway was set to open to traffic “within 24 hours”.
Stuff understands that it will open about 3am on Thursday after all barriers are removed from the entrances and exits.
In the opening ceremony, Ngāti Toa named the road Te Ara Nui o Te Rangihaeata, the defence of Te Rangihaeata. Dignitaries were welcomed to the opening ceremony with a pōwhiri at Paekākāriki.
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Cars driving along the neighbouring State Highway 59 tooted as they went past, while Waka Kotahi estimated 200 people were at the ceremony.
The 27-kilometre motorway stretches from the existing route north of Paekākāriki to the south of Porirua but it has been plagued with problems, including missing five deadlines and going $400 million over budget.
Waka Kotahi estimated the motorway could shorten peak journeys by 7-15 minutes.
The agency’s general manager of transport service, Brett Gliddon, said they wanted to avoid congestion from people trying to be the first on the road, so they were not advertising a specific opening time.
“We understand why people are excited – Transmission Gully is fantastic – but it will be here for the next 100 years so there is plenty of time to enjoy it.”
Waka Kotahi board chairman Sir Brian Roche said in his speech at the ceremony it had been a long journey and the recent months had been particularly demanding.
He also thanked those who did the hard mahi (work), the public who demonstrated patience, and “friends in the media” who reminded them of the delays on a daily basis.
Ngāti Toa Rangatira chairman Callum Katene said the motorway was a marvellous engineering achievement.
“It will ease the flow of traffic but also grease the wheels of commerce,” he said.
Porirua mayor Anita Baker said the new road was 'just amazing'.
Baker also said the motorway would open up the Porirua region, with the eastern suburbs of Waitangirua and Whitby now the first parts of the region most drivers would see. It would also open the Pukerua Bay to Plimmerton stretch for development, she said.
Ardern said in her speech the motorway would be a pathway to be used by generations to come.
“It is no secret the project has been talked about for many decades. The first mention was in the Evening Post newspaper in 1914,” she said.
“Transmission Gully is a testament of what can be achieved after a rough start.” She said the road had not been without challenges – flooding, pandemic and a major earthquake. The road has been built to withstand a one-in-2500-year earthquake.
“This is modern infrastructure that is future-proof. Projects like this here are an example of what we can achieve.”
Wellingtonians were excited about the new road.
Penny Salmon said she was “so excited”, and “we’ll take the family for a weekend drive. Just because … Been a long time coming.”
Another local, Jack Stanton, had extensive plans for the cafes he would visit after his first ride on the new motorway. “Fidel’s is the first really Wellington cafe I discovered when I moved here 20 years ago so it seemed a good way to mark the occasion,” he wrote.
Blue Freeman said “Pukerua Bay to Paekākāriki has to have been one of the most frustrating stretches of highway in the country and now it will become a minor highway, a title it has always deserved. I applaud all who have made this happen.”
The road will be open for motorists from Thursday, in time for the Easter break, school holidays, and the return of tourists to New Zealand.
Transport Minister Michael Wood said it was “music to the ears” to hear cars tooting as they drove past the opening. He described the road as a “significant achievement”, which was one of the most complex roading projects ever undertaken in New Zealand.
“The road spans 27 kilometres of very challenging terrain, requiring innovative environmental and construction techniques.
“Everyone should get where they are going safely whether they are walking, cycling, driving, motorcycling or using public transport.”
In a statement, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said that Transmission Gully provided a safer and more reliable route for Wellington.
“The new motorway will also have economic benefits with faster movement of freight and more resilience in our transport links.
“There have been lengthy delays to the opening of this road because of National’s botched public-private partnership. We have cleaned up their mess so commuters going in and out of Wellington will finally be able to use the alternative route.