The preferred option for a $135 million upgrade of State Highway 3 in Taranaki crosses iwi land, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has revealed.
The agency is upgrading 58km of road, through the notorious Mt Messenger and Awakino Gorge sections of the highway.
It proposes three options for Mt Messenger.
State Highway 3 in Taranaki. Photo: Supplied
The first involves widening the existing tunnel, while the other two would bypass the mountain completely.
The NZTA's preferred option is 6.4 kilometre bypass which crosses private and Ngāti Tama land.
The iwi's chairman, Paul Silich, said it was still consulting with the Transport Agency and preferred not to comment further.
NZTA Awakino Gorge to Mt Messenger programme manager Rob Napier said the agency had liaised with iwi and affected landowners.
"We want to understand what people think about the options, which ones they favour and why. This will help us take one option forward for more detailed design and address the impacts it creates."
He said all three options were unique and had varying degrees of benefits, costs and impacts.
"The bypasses offer significant safety and travel time improvements. On the other hand, developing the existing route is cheaper, impacts less on the environment but has fewer benefits than the bypasses," he said.
One of the proposed new SH3 routes. Photo: Supplied
The agency proposes two options for the Awakino tunnel.
One involves widening the existing tunnel but NZTA's preference is to build 800m of new road, including two new bridges to bypass it.
Senior Project Manager Kevin Johnson said an existing single-lane tunnel was located on a rugged section of SH3, in the southern King Country at the northern end of the Awakino Gorge.
"This area has been a problem for many years, especially with rock falls and slips blocking the highway and causing significant traffic delays. Providing a safer route, with better journey-times, predictability and travel experience along this section of highway is central to the project."
Tongaporutu farmer and avid trial runner Evan Lobb said the plan for a bypass around Mt Messenger would destroy a piece of pristine bush.
Mr Lobb said he could run through the area for hours and not hear a soul.
It was a paradise for birdlife and he had been involved in trapping pests with Ngāti Tama who plan to re-introduce the endangered kōkako there.
"All the work Ngāti Tama have done in there trapping and that for the kōkako and the kiwi, you know, it will be a big job mitigating that.
"I just don't think we necessarily need to start carving up that pristine beauty."
One of the proposed new routes for SH3 in Taranaki. Photo: Supplied
Transport Investments Limited co-owner Jim Ramsay said the bypass options at Mt Messenger and Awakino would make the road safer for everyone.
TIL had Hooker Pacific, TNL and Roadstar trucking businesses under its umbrella and Mr Ramsay said his drivers would welcome the improvements.
"It will mean an easier time for our drivers, you know. Currently the trucks have quite a difficult time on Mt Messenger. It's a difficult road to get over particularly in the winter.
"It's gonna be safer, current vehicle dimensions mean that often it's very very difficult to stay on your own side of the road when you're going around the corners."
Mr Ramsay said there would be some nostalgia for the tough roads when they were gone however.
"When you think back to getting over the mountain, when often it was a lot of gravel all the way and the Awakino Gorge was gravel, so there will be a lot of thinking 'Hey, I used to go over there and be worried about going over the side and being eaten by wild pigs'."
Mr Ramsay said the upgrade would also save on wear and tear and improve delivery times.
Public consultation on the project ends on 6 January.
General upgrading of the stretch of highway is due to begin next year and if adopted construction of the bypass routes will begin in 2018 and be complete in 2020.