National road freight organisation Transporting New Zealand says this Saturday’s official opening of the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway is great news for the freight industry, and the region’s communities.

Chief executive Dom Kalasih says the highway will deliver a safe, reliable and resilient connection between the Manawatū and Tararua districts. [Traffic will be able to use the highway from next week.]

The highway replaces the Manawatū Gorge route, closed in 2017 due to slips.

The new 11.5km highway is a major milestone for the freight sector and regional communities. It will take about 13 minutes to drive by car, or around 18 minutes for freight vehicles, to move between the districts.

Kalasih says it will be a relief for people who have had to use the challenging Saddle Road detour for nearly 8 years.

"This new highway will make a real difference to the flow of freight and to the lives of drivers."

"We also think it is a win that this is a non-tolled road,’ he says.

Transporting New Zealand strongly opposed a proposed toll, noting the Saddle Road was never fit for purpose and the region deserved a safe, free alternative.

"This is a replacement road, not a luxury upgrade," Kalasih says. "Our members were clear - tolling this essential link would be unfair and would raise the cost of freight, hitting consumers across the board."

Kalasih says all the engineering that’s gone into the build is impressive.

The project involved:

• 6.5 million cubic metres of earthworks
• 30,000 cubic metres of concrete
• 3.5 million mahi hours
• 2,500 workers
• Nearly 2 million native plants planted for environmental restoration.

The highway holds deep cultural importance, following a historic Māori travel route between the coasts and is named after Te Ahu a Turanga - the former resting place of Turanga-i-Mua, the son of the Aotea waka captain Turi who was killed in a battle there.

One of the standout physical features is the Parahaki Bridge near Ashhurst - at 300 metres long and 30 metres wide, it spans the fast-flowing Manawatū River on a fault line and in one of the windiest areas of the North Island.

"It’s taken years of commitment, coordination and skill to complete such a complex build in an ecologically sensitive and geologically challenging location," says Kalasih.

"Well done to all who played a part in making this happen."

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