Te Kowhai residents upset over closure of road
The construction of a section of the Waikato expressway has Te Kowhai residents up in arms as the new highway will close their direct road to Hamilton.
Te Kowhai residents are fired up over the impending closure of Te Kowhai Road which will effectively cut off their direct access into Hamilton.
The Te Rapa bypass – under construction since October last year – will bisect Te Kowhai Road, meaning it will be closed on either side of the expressway.
Resident Mary Roberts says it will cause huge delays for commuters who travel into the city from Te Kowhai each day.
“It’s like someone dropping a load of rubble in the middle of your driveway.”
Motorists travelling north from Te Kowhai will be directed onto a new interchange at Onion Road where they will have access back onto Te Rapa Road (SH1) or Avalon Drive.
According to an independent report commissioned by the Waikato District and Hamilton City councils, the detour will add 2kms to the Te Kowhai – Te Rapa trip and 2.5kms to the Te Kowhai – Avalon Drive trip.
Mrs Roberts says the effect on Te Kowhai road users has been downplayed and in reality will be very disruptive.
“Why should we have to go backwards to go forwards? Why should this road [Te Rapa Bypass] have precedence?
“At the end of the day, the absolute lack of foresight from the planners is just horrifying. The Te Kowhai area, even in the midst of the recession, is one of the fastest growing areas in the Waikato and a large percentage of residents work and commute into Hamilton.”
She says the Waikato District and Hamilton City councils need to look further into the issue.
“If it is an extra 2kms to reach Te Rapa, and I think that is a very conservative estimate, then that’s an extra 4km each day for commuters and an extra 20kms per week.”
In 2009, Hamilton City Council estimated 4200 motorists used Te Kowhai Road each day.
“If there are 4200 motorists, that’s an extra 16,800kms travelled every single day. What’s the impact of that on the planet? It’s an ecological disaster.”
And carbon emissions are not the only factor upsetting residents.
Twenty-one-year-old student Bradley Sam travels into Waikato University each day and says he is not looking forward to a bigger petrol bill.
“The extra petrol consumption is a biggie since I’m a student with very limited income. Petrol is already expensive enough as it is.”
Waikato District Councillor and Chairman of Roading and Transport for the district Noel Smith says he is disappointed for Te Kowhai residents but accepts that the New Zealand Transport Agency cannot be “everything to everyone”.
“Sometimes with these big projects I think the little guy gets run over a little bit. Some people are affected but the majority will benefit, it’s one of those very difficult things.”
Mr Smith says that the major disruption for Te Kowhai residents is largely a result of mistiming.
Hamilton City Council are proposing to construct a new local road which would take Te Kowhai road users under the bypass and back onto the existing Te Kowhai road, extending their commute by only 500m.
Originally, this realignment was scheduled to coincide with construction of the Te Rapa bypass but the National Government bought the building of the Waikato Expressway forward by 10 or 20 years.
“If you look at the speed of computers and you look at broadband and dial up it’s a bit like we’ve got dial up for a little while, but it will get better,” Mr Smith says.
Hamilton City Councillor Dave Macpherson says the council were unaware of the upset to Te Kowhai residents.
He says it is possible they could bring the realignment of Te Kowhai Road forward but that it is a difficult issue as Te Kowhai is part of the Waikato District Council.
“From my point of view, as Hamilton City Council, it’s a little bit interesting because [Te Kowhai residents] are Waikato District residents, and Hamilton City ratepayers are paying for it.
“In terms of speeding up that link, if Waikato District Council were willing to advance funds, or somehow share the costs in the short run, that’s one way of getting something to jump the queue.”
Mr Macpherson says he is open to working with the Waikato District Council to find a solution.
“We will certainly look at it, and at least get some definite answers for [Te Kowhai residents].”
