Te Ahu a Turanga - Manawatū Tararua Highway formally opened with karakia
The ribbon being cut at the formal opening of the Ahu a Turanga Highway.
Photo:
RNZ / Pokere Paewai
A long-awaited
highway connecting Manawatū and Hawke's Bay
has had its official opening - eight years after the old highway closed.
The road does not officially open to traffic until next week, but a few locals had the chance to take a test drive over the southern Ruahine Ranges on Saturday.
The four-lane Te Ahu a Turanga - Manawatū Tararua Highway replaces the old State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge, which closed in April 2017 due to slips.
Minister of Transport Chris Bishop was present to cut the ribbon. It was fantastic to finally see the highway open, he said.
"It's a very important day for the communities. And it has been a very large investment from the government but a very important one, and it's going to be a fantastic resilient new road and be one that will last for generations to come."
Stakeholders for the new highway pose for a photo after the cutting of the ribbon.
Photo:
RNZ / Pokere Paewai
It was expected the 11.5km route would take less than 15 minutes to drive, an improvement on the windy alternative routes over the Saddle Road and Pahiatua Track that were in use for the past eight years.
Chair of Horizons Regional Council Rachel Keedwell said she hoped the new highway would be a much safer drive then the alternatives.
"The Saddle Road was never designed to be a state highway - it was basically a farm track that turned into a road taking 9000 vehicles a day in heavy traffic, the speed limit was dropped to 60km/h for a reason. There's been many serious injuries and deaths on that road, so this is just going to be amazing. It's a quick easy ride, it's safe, heavy traffic can get over it without holding up other traffic."
Horizons Regional Council spanned communities on both sides of the ranges, and Keedwell said the closure had been a big deal for the Tararua District in particular.
"It's impacted on how people get to work, it's impacted on how the community joins in to Palmerston North, and financially, people have borne the brunt of that, businesses as well as locals, and so bringing the connection back together it just makes it seamless from one side of the region to the other."
Before dawn, karakia rang out across the brand new Parahaki Bridge on the Ashhurst end of the new highway. The karakia was led by representatives of five iwi: Rangitāne ki Manawatū, Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a rua, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Raukawa, from both sides of the Ruahine/Tararua range.
Rangitāne ki Manawatū kaumātua Manu Kawana.
Photo:
RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Ngāti Kauwhata spokesperson Meihana Durie said it was important for all the iwi to come together to recite the karakia.
"He tauira pai pea tēnā mō ngā ara katoa o te motu nei kia kaua e haere tapatahi ki te mahi engari mē āta kōrero ki ngā iwi, ki ngā hapū. Whakaae katoa ngā iwi, ngā hapū ki te hanga o tēnei rori nō reira mātau katoa e tino harikoa ana i tēnei rā."
"This project might be a good example for other roading projects around the country to not go directly into the work, but to speak first with the iwi. All the iwi, the hapū (in the region) agreed to the building of this road so we are all very happy today."
Rangitāne ki te Manawatū kaumātua Manu Kawana said the new highway took its name from a nearby landmark - Te Ahu a Turanga. That name in turn came from an ancestor named Turanga, who was a descendant of Aotea waka from Taranaki. During a battle in the Manawatū Gorge Turanga was mortally wounded, he said.
"I tata hemo atu te tūpuna rā, arā piki ake i ngā riu o ngā pae Ruahine rā, i tae atu ā ia ki tētahi taumata, ko taua taumata ka kite atu nei i te maunga titohea koira pea tōna hiahia kia tae atu rā ki tētahi wāhi e taea ai te kite atu i tōna maunga. Katahi ka mate atu."
"He almost died then, but he began to climb up the valleys of the Ruahine ranges until he reached a peak, from there he could see Taranaki, perhaps that was his desire to reach somewhere where he could see his mountain. Then he passed away."
The Manawatū Gorge with the old State Highway 3 on the right side of the river.
Photo:
RNZ / Pokere Paewai
There was still a stone on the mountainside marking the site of his death, Kawana said.
"Me mihi ka tika ki Te Ahu a Turanga taumata, i tikina atu ai te ingoa o te huarahi nei i tō mātau taumata tapu rawa atu," Durie said.
"We must pay tribute to the peak of Te Ahu a Turanga, that name, the name of our most sacred peak was chosen as a name for this highway,"
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