Ashhurst may get traffic lights to handle Manawatū Gorge traffic
Thursday, 19 July 2018
Ashhurst's roads are set to be dramatically changed to help residents deal with the tsunami of vehicles travelling through the once-quiet village due to the Manawatū Gorge road closure.
But some residents say the changes are just preparing them for the disappointment of a proposed bypass around the town being ditched.
New Zealand Transport Agency staff were in Ashhurst on Thursday to let residents know about their plans.
The village's roads have become the de facto State Highway 3 since the Manawatū Gorge road was closed in April 2017 after massive slips came down on the road.
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* Manawatū Gorge construction likely to bring good, bad and ugly
* Alternative to Manawatū Gorge is 6 years away**
About 5000 vehicles a day travel through Ashhurst to get to the main alternative route, Saddle Rd.
Although signs direct traffic down Salisbury St, drivers speed down side streets to pass trucks.
Residents are being woken by the sound of trucks engine braking and accelerating, and parents are afraid to let children play in their front yards.
The agency revealed on Thursday a range of proposed changes to Ashhurst's roading network.
They include widening footpaths and beautifying the town centre, slightly raising intersections on side streets, safety features near Ashhurst School, and changing the intersection of Napier Rd and Cambridge Ave.
But the biggest change would be the intersection of Mulgrave St and Cambridge Ave, where a roundabout would be replaced by traffic lights.
Agency highway manager Ross I'Anson said the proposals were not about the cars going through Ashhurst, but the people who lived there.
People had talked about safety, disruption and noise, but it all fed back to one core issue: Ashhurst was not the 'nice, peaceful community' it once was, I'Anson said.
The traffic lights would have technology that sensed when trucks were approaching, then give them a green light, helping prevent the sound of braking and accelerating in the middle of the night.
Ashhurst residents were able to see the plans for the first time at the Ashhurst Village Valley Hall on Thursday night, and most Stuff spoke to were cautiously positive.
Doug Wilson said it was early days, but many of the ideas looked good.
'Overall, what more can they do? They are trying.'
Some people may be concerned about some plans, as they could affect property values, he said.
Harley Betts, who lives on Salisbury St, said it was good to see things may be improving.
'Now, let's seem some action. We have talked about it long enough.'
He would prefer to see a bypass built around the town, something brought up as an option by the agency soon after the gorge closed.
'I get the impression from the effort going into [the traffic improvements] that we are being prepared for the bypass not going ahead.'
An Ashhurst woman, who asked for her name to not be used, said the improvements would not be needed if the bypass was built.
She thought the bypass would not happen, mainly because of where it was supposed to run – between Ashhurst and the Manawatū River.
'If it rains as hard as it did during the 2004 floods, the road would be completely covered.'
I'Anson said the bypass was still on hold due to legal issues, but was not off the table completely.
People wanting to view the proposed upgrades and give feedback can do so at the Ashhurst Village Valley Hall on Friday from 4-8pm, or at Ashhurst School on Saturday from 10am-2pm.
There is also information about the proposed new route for SH3 and work on the Saddle Rd.
Information sessions are also scheduled for Woodville, Palmerston North, Dannevirke and Pahīatua. For more information, see nzta.govt.nz.