The name game: renaming of the Kāpiti Coast's old highway delayed

Wednesday, 18 July 2018

The Otaihanga roundabout is part of a stretch of road that will be renamed.

Kākākura, Hurumutu or Old Main Road? Kāpiti could be waiting until next year to find out.

The decision on renaming the district's original State Highway has been delayed following a hold up in it becoming a local road.

The Poplar Ave interchange with the expressway, dark, running along the centre, between the Poplar Ave roundabout and the old SH1, which will be renamed.

A new name - or names - was meant to be chosen last year but now the Kāpiti Coast District Council says it has decided to take its time.

The choice could now be made later this year or early next year, expressway integration project manager Vince Fallon said.

The Paekākāriki Community Board chose Hurumutu for its section of road.

Mayor K Gurunathan says it's better to get the decision right than do it too quickly.

* Plans to give State Highway seven new names

* Double the highway delight for Kāpiti Coast**

The section of Waikanae road will get a new name as well.

The project has been contentious for the council whose plan to split the continuous road into seven sections with seven Māori names was slammed as over-complicated. Many locals already call the 18 kilometre stretch Main Rd, Main Rd North and Main Rd South.

The proposed names, Matene Te Whiwhi Rd, Katu Rd, Unaiki Rd, Kākākura Rd, Rauoterangi Rd, Hurumutu Rd, and Hokowhitu Rd, were described as 'unpronounceable' by some.

The decision could not be made until work on the old highway was completed by the NZ Transport Agency, Fallon said.

'State Highway 1 cannot be renamed until the revocation is completed and the project has been delayed by NZTA, which is now expected to wind-up late 2020.'

The section of road, running from Raumati South to north of Waikanae has been rendered obsolete as a highway by the new Kāpiti Expressway.

Under the revocation process it get a $22 million makeover - featuring cycleways, lights and lower speed limits - before being transferred from the NZTA's management to the council.

Fallon said community boards had reviewed all suggestions put forth for the renaming and the council would review the recommendations before making a decision.

Kāpiti mayor K Gurunathan said people had initially thought the name had to be chosen as soon as the new expressway opened.

'But it turned out it takes a hell of a long time before the revoking so why rush?'

There was more consultation to be had on the issue so the council could not decide on a name before the highway became a local road, he said.

'Given the huge public interest in it it's better to get it right. Whichever way it goes not everybody is going to be happy.'

It was better to take time and ensure all boxes were ticked before making any sort of contentious decision, he said.

Last year, 585 people gave 1077 submissions on the project. Of those, 68 actually identified as living on the road.

There were 286 in favour of a single name for the road, with Old Main Rd the most popular, but council said many people did not realise one name 'would require over 1000 actual or potential properties to be renumbered'.

Community Boards had submitted their preferences for the sections that sat within their boundaries.

The Waikanae Board chose Main Rd, Horrobin Rd and Matene Te Whiwhi; the Paraparaumu/Raumati Board chose Main Rd South and Main Rd North. Paekākāriki chose Hurumutu and Ōtaki declined the opportunity.

NZTA project delivery manager Chris Hunt said it was expected construction on the highway would start late this year and still be completed in 24 months.

'While it had been hoped construction would already be underway, design, consultation and funding decisions have taken longer than expected.

'We are currently working on confirming the exact timing and staging of the [Mackays to Peka Peka] SH1 revocation construction programme.'