Trucks told to go west

A new drive to get trucks out of Masterton's central business area is under way with a plan to divert them west along the banks of the Waipoua River.

Masterton District Council has decided not to seek project funding for a costly eastern by-pass that would have started in the rural area at Stronvar Rd catering mainly for logging trucks and ending at Wardell's Bridge, but the council's Economic Development Committee is touting a west urban option.

Committee chairman David Holmes said yesterday there is an urgent need to keep heavy trucks out of the town, which was why he had been "pushing this west bypass issue for some time".

He has lodged a submission to the Greater Wellington Regional Council outlining his stand.

Mr Holmes said the bypass he favours, termed the West Urban bypass by council engineers who have prepared four scenarios, would be the old stock route to the now-closed saleyards in Colombo Rd.

The bypass would start from the roundabout at The Farriers at the northern end of Masterton. From there it would hug the edge of the Waipoua River, up to and over the railway line and onto Ngaumutawa Rd at the juncture of Akura Rd.

From that point trucks could head north to Napier or south to Wellington.

The route would essentially be restricted to the industrial areas of town.

"Obviously there would be work to be done on roundabouts and suchlike," he said.

It is likely the intersection of SH2/Opaki Rd with Te Ore Ore Rd would need to be remodelled and also the northern roundabout to handle the influx of heavy trucks.

Mr Holmes said the bypass roadway would be raised and would act as a stopbank for when the Waipoua River flooded and threatened the town, "which has happened".

It would be a case, he said, of the town getting "two for the price of one" with a truck bypass and a better stopbank.

"There has been talk of removing the island in Henley Lake, the metal could be used on the road," he said.

"I have spoken to Colin McAuley of McAuley's Transport who is also chairman of the local transport operators group and he agrees with this option.

"It would cost $2.754m," Mr Holmes said.

The other options put to Masterton District Council in council engineers' and roading managers' reports are termed rural (eastern bypass option), near rural and east urban and would cost $23.7m, $21.8m and $4m respectively.

In his role as the new chairman of the Economic Development Committee, Mr Holmes said the committee, regardless of a truck bypass was "really pushing" for more use of rail to move logs out of Wairarapa, either north to the Port of Napier or south to the Wellington wharves.

"We are also encouraging the use of a viable inland port to assemble logs for transporting by rail."

The aim, he said, was to eliminate the trucking of logs to Wellington over the Rimutaka Hill Rd, which is expected to quadruple in the next few years.

His proposal was obviously the most cost effective bypass option.

"If we want to move Masterton forward these projects have to be considered," he said.

At last week's council meeting councillors agreed not to seek project funding for the eastern bypass option in the 2015 Regional Land Transport Plan covering the next six years.

They also agreed the district's forest forecast should be monitored to detect any significant increase or decrease in harvest rates and the impact that would have on a preferred truck route.

Councillors agreed to refer the issue to the Long Term Plan process for further discussion and community comment.