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Improvements are underway on State Highway 3 (SH3) from Awakino Gorge to Mt Messenger to improve safety, resilience and route availability. This 58km section of SH3 is Taranaki’s main route north, it runs through rough terrain and is winding and narrow.
The State Highway 3 Awakino Gorge to Mt Messenger Programme is made up of:
The programme will improve safety, resilience and journey experience along this key transport route.
The main objectives are to:
Initial investigations on SH3 were carried out in the 1970s and 1980s by the Ministry of Works and Development for the National Roads Board. Since then a number of studies and investigations have been completed.
A business case confirmed there are ongoing safety, route availability and travel time issues, due to poor road layout along SH3. Poor route configuration has resulted in a number of deaths, serious injuries and road closures over recent years.
| Project | Cost | Funding source |
|---|---|---|
| Awakino Tunnel Bypass | $37.5 million | Government’s Accelerated Regional Roading Programme |
| Mt Messenger Bypass | $200 million | Government’s Accelerated Regional Roading Programme and the National Land Transport Programme 2015–18 |
| Safety and Resilience improvements | $25–30 million | National Land Transport Programme 2015–18 |
Construction for each project is estimated to occur during:
A detailed design for the new Mt Messenger route is progressing. Appeals have been made to the High Court on an Environment Court interim decision about the project’s consents and Notice of Requirement (NOR). A hearing is expected to be held in late August 2020. The Environment Court heard appeals to the decision in 2018 to grant the project’s resource consents and confirm the NoR following an independent hearing.
Construction on the two-bridge bypass of Awakino Tunnel started in September 2019. The project includes a passing lane and realigning a section of highway north of the tunnel.
Some minor safety improvements were completed along the 58km stretch of highway which includes Awakino Tunnel and Mt Messenger. More complex safety and resilience improvements on this section of SH3 are currently being constructed including new passing lanes, intersection improvements in Tongaporutu and some slope stability improvements in the Awakino Gorge.
