"It's clear to me NZTA have either no person connected to the issue or no financial connect with business people in Woodville.
"Heads need to roll. If engineers haven't got the balls to sign off on the gorge, then what are the options and why aren't they being discussed openly?"
Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis said her recent visit into the gorge caused her great concern.
"For me it was another blow when we were expecting the road to open."
Collis and her councillors visited Woodville last week to find out what could be done to support business people.
"All businesses have been affected differently," she said. "Some businesses are now into their reserves and how long can they hang out? Ten weeks is a long time to sustain a 30 per cent drop in traffic off the Saddle Rd alone and there's also the losses associated with people using the Pahiatua Track as well.
"The pain from the extended closure of the Manawatu Gorge 2011 slip is still in everyone's minds and people are asking 'how long is this going to continue' and 'what is this going to do to my business?'"
On Monday John Barrow, the Tararua representative on Horizons Regional Council, told Dannevirke Community Board members, "there is likely to be a significant announcement on the future of the gorge to come".
"The Saddle Rd which has had $8.5 million spent on its upgrade, will have highway status and there's concern the Manawatu Gorge might be closed for some time. This will have a quite severe impact on the region."
At a recent meeting with NZTA management Barrow said he pointed out that Tararua has the satellite towns for people working in Manawatu.
"Up to 130 people from Woodville travel each day through to Palmerston North," he said.
"They live in Woodville because land and housing prices are considerably cheaper this side of the gorge. If the gorge was to close that opportunity would be lost."
Barrow said he suspects NZTA will call for submissions on the future of the gorge.
"It's a money pit and has been for sometime, but more so recently," he said.
Collis said NZTA still had geotechnicians looking at the gorge and it has opened a specific website for increased and better communication.
"I've already discussed with them the need for increased signage to tell people Woodville is still open for business," she said. "And I'm delighted by the wonderful support from locals to places such as the Bridge Cafe. It's been fantastic."
NZTA highway manager Ross I'Anson has said he is very aware of the frustrations and stress of business owners who are affected by the gorge closure, and motorists who need to use the alternative routes of the Saddle Rd and the Pahiatua Track, as well as those residents who are experiencing extra traffic flows.
"We understand how vital this route is for the region and how disruptive this closure is, but the fact is that the recent slips have significantly changed the rock faces above the road and we need to be confident any additional risks that the newly exposed rock might pose for road users are addressed before traffic can return," he said.
"The recent slips have resulted in new cracking in the rock faces on either side of the slips and we need to identify if there is a risk of additional rock falling on to the road and most importantly what additional work may be required to ensure safety.
"The geology of the gorge is complex, and these assessments must be very thorough to address that complexity."
Meanwhile district councillor Carole Isaacson said she has been amazed at the resilience of Woodville retailers.
"They're tough, resilient people who have coped with the situation well."
Council's new economic development and communications manager Mark Maxwell is improving communication with Woodville businesses and offering support from council's business network.
• To keep up-to-date on the Manawatu Gorge news go to www.nzta.govt.nz/manawatu-gorge