Study to decide fate of Western Corridor

A study to help decide whether Waipā District Council will keep the existing Western Arterial designation for a future transport corridor in Te Awamutu was introduced to the Council’s Service Delivery committee today.

The existing designation, which is set to expire in 2032, was identified in 2006 as the solution to reducing heavy vehicle congestion in the town’s main street at that time, Waipā District Council Transport manager Bryan Hudson said.

“Over the past 15 years, Council has incurred increasing costs for property maintenance and seen changing traffic patterns through the town which may no longer justify a new western arterial road in the future,” Hudson said.

“We have taken a fresh look at the designation looking at all opportunities to address traffic flow for our future transport needs.”

Council engaged engineering consultancy firm WSP to undertake the study which assesses the corridor and the need for this into the future.

Over time Council had bought properties and there was more yet to be bought, Hudson said.

“We want to check the corridor is the right fit for our growing community, so the study has analysed the evidence, reviewed the issues and potential solutions and developed a short list of recommendations together with stakeholders and partners.”

The investigations will allow Council to make a well-reasoned decision about the future of the existing designation, and a recommendation for long-term affordable improvements to the strategic transport network that will improve the accessibility, liveability and economic wellbeing for residents and visitors to Te Awamutu and Kihikihi, although noting that we don’t yet have all of the necessary information to make a decision just yet. The investigations have helped to understand the transport needs for the towns into the future.

“In the short-term, we’ll be making safety improvements and roading upgrades to make the roads work better for all modes of transport throughout Te Awamutu and Kihikihi.

“There are transport issues on the network, but these are no longer constrained to heavy vehicle impacts.”

People who use streets for cycling, wheeling and walking would be made to feel safer if the streets were more user-friendly in the long term, he said.

“People still find the main roads in Te Awamutu and Kihikihi to be a barrier to non-car use.

“Te Awamutu and Kihikihi are actively growing, and with residents telling us they want more urban mobility options, this will change the way we move around in the future. The study indicates that a new Western Corridor will be necessary in the future to meet Te Awamutu’s growing needs, but increasing costs may make this an unaffordable investment within the next 10 to 20 years.

The study also found that there are opportunities to make a difference to the transport network now to improve our community’s experience. ”

Hudson said Te Awamutu was growing rapidly with more homes built to cater for all the new people, but inevitably traffic was also increasing with growth.

“Our vision is to create a vibrant, liveable town centre, and a safe, sustainable transport network that works for Te Awamutu and Kihikihi now, and in the future.”