Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon is welcoming a policy announcement from the Government that promises to deliver the Woodend Bypass.
Labour yesterday announced that, if elected, they would build a suite of ‘Northern Link’ projects that include the Woodend Bypass as well as creating more lanes on the Ashley River Bridge.
In the statement they scheduled the Woodend Bypass to start in 2026/27. It also included an extra $5.4 billion to assist with for the maintenance of state highway and local roads.
This announcement follows the National parties transport package which includes the Woodend Bypass as a road of national significance.
Mayor Dan Gordon says it is great to see that the two major parties are committed a project that we have advocated strongly over many years.
The Woodend Bypass was first confirmed in 2013 following safety concerns from the community but Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency stalled the project.
Since then, many in the community, including Waimakariri District Council and Woodend-Sefton Community Board, have called for and organised public rallies calling for this project to be prioritised.
“This second announcement prioritising the Woodend Bypass will be welcome news to the community,” says Mayor Gordon.
“The community here have been calling out for this promised infrastructure to be delivered and for concrete time-frames for construction to start. For both major parties to identify this as priority project is great news.
“Today over 20,000 vehicles pass through Woodend every day, and this is only going to increase. The town is quite literally divided in two by the State Highway. The Bypass will make the area safer for residents, business owners and children – it’s well overdue.
“The Council and I fully support this second announcement as it shows the infrastructure needed by communities of Woodend, Pegasus and Ravenswood are on the radar of both major parties.”
The Council is also committed to continue to strongly advocate for better infrastructure investment from Waka Kotahi for the wider District.
There are many pressing road developments such as a replacement of Skew Bridge in East Kaiapoi as well as an Eastern Rangiora Link Road that are required to accommodate a growing population says Mayor Gordon.