MEDIA RELEASE

TRANSIT NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON REGIONAL OFFICE

21 August 2007

Transit moves closer to making Ruby Bay Bypass a reality

Transit New Zealand is moving closer towards making Ruby Bay Bypass a reality with the detailed design for the project currently being finalised.

Wellington Regional Manager Graham Taylor says Transit is pleased with the progress and says some additional geotechnical investigations at specific sites along the route were completed in July this year.

“Information from this will allow the final design to be completed by the end of this year.”

Mr Taylor says that all going well, construction is expected to begin at the end of 2008.

The 10.7km project starts where Transit’s major 1999 Maisey Road to Trafalgar Road Deviation left off. The first 1.4km of the new alignment follows the adjacent highway until it reaches the Higgs Reserve where it then leaves the existing highway and heads for the hills running in a large part through existing or former forestry land before coming down from the ridge to tie back into the existing Coastal Highway, just beyond the Tasman township at Harley Road.

Mr Taylor says the Bypass will greatly enhance access between Richmond and Motueka because the road will be much shorter, better positioned and will have a minimum of side road connections.

“Removing through traffic from the Coastal section of SH60 between Tasman and Mapua will reduce pressure on the existing coastal route, which in recent years has experienced significant rural and residential development,” he says.

Since planning consents to build the project were first granted in 2000, interest in the project has remained high in the region. As part of the completion of the detailed design phase, Transit have arranged for an aerial photograph of the route, for which they have superimposed details of the scheme on.

A public display of the design overlaid on a recent aerial photograph will be available at Richmond library from 21-31 August. The library will retain the information and will have contact details.

ENDS

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