The SaveKāpiti group erected nine metre high cherry pickers on Te Moana road at the weekend to give the public some idea of the height that the Kāpiti expressway will be above the local road.
“We want everyone to visualize what a fully-lit 4-lane 100kph autobahn at this height will do to the area” said spokesperson Bianca Begovich.
The event is intended to put the spotlight on the role of National MP Nathan Guy, who initially supported the local Western Link road but changed his mind and now supports this massive concrete autobahn through the middle of Kāpiti’s quiet communities and open spaces.
Initially the NZ Transport Agency had said that the expressway would traverse Te Moana road at 6m, but information released last month shows that figure has increased to 9m, with at least 6m of lighting above that.
“This is another example of the Agency saying one thing and doing another,” Mrs Begovich said. “No one will be left unaffected. With only 4 kilometres between the current SH1 and the beach, everyone will be able to see and hear the autobahn, and the same applies to anyone living the same distance from Kāpiti road in Paraparaumu”.
The Transport Agency’s Wellington state highways manager Rod James has said that the plans are ‘works in progress’ because the interchange crosses a sloped area on a curve, which requires a higher elevation than the rest of the bridge. However, Mrs Begovich says this is another example of NZTA’s incompetence.
“They can add this to their list of ‘unexpected issues’. What with the questionable budget, high water table, rare bird sightings and the massive geotechnical difficulties, you’ve got to wonder whether they have any idea about what they’re doing at all”.
About 400 SaveKāpiti members plan to oppose the proposal at the board of inquiry hearing expected to be held early next year but Mrs Begovich says “The best message Kāpiti people can send to the government about how they feel is by voting out Nathan Guy on 26 November”.
