The National Party is promising to fast-track Palmerston North’s rural ring road project if elected in September.
The ring road aims to divert heavy traffic and will connect Palmerston North’s distribution hub area (North East Industrial Zone) to the Manawatu Gorge in the east, Bulls to the north, and the state highway network south towards Wellington.
The total cost of the ring road is estimated to be around $200 million and would be fully funded from National’s $31 billion transport package.
National Party leader Judith Collins says the first stages of the project would be underway within six months of forming a government.
“Diverting heavy traffic away from Palmerston North’s suburban streets onto this new road will be transformational for the city and the wider Manawatu region,” Collins says.
“Not only will it make Palmerston North safer; it will unlock Manawatū’s economic potential as a distribution hub by providing a better, faster link to national and international markets.”
“With an estimated 23,000 vehicle movements a day between Palmerston North and Fielding, this project is long overdue.
“National wants to see freight trucks rumbling along fit-for-purpose highways en route to the North Island’s ports, not hurtling past primary schools on streets they shouldn’t be using.
“Palmerston North City Council has called for this project to start as soon as possible to drive the city’s economic and employment revival.
“But while the Government is content to sit on its secret list of shovel-ready projects and let construction workers be laid off, National will give the construction sector the certainty its needs to keep staff employed,” Collins says.
