Government urged to invest in Feilding roads before 'tragedy occurs'

Echoing calls from the Feilding community to improve dangerous and congested intersections, Manawatū's mayor urges the government not to "wait until a tragedy occurs" to get work done.

The Manawatū Ratepayers Association and councillor Colin Dyer had collected well over 1000 signatures supporting the installation of roundabouts at two NZTA controlled intersections along State Highway 54 since the start of the month.

Dyer started the petition because SH54 made up the "main artery of the whole town" and as it was government controlled, the council had no power to improve the corridors.

Mayor Michael Ford said he was eager to forge a plan with NZTA, rather than "wait until a tragedy occurs".

Ford wanted the Government agency to include at least two of the SH54 intersections in its plans with a completion date.

Regardless of when work begun, Ford said "roads are made to serve people" and planned upgrades would help to future-proof a district only predicted to grow.

Dyer was out again this week independently collecting signatures for the installation of roundabouts at two intersections off SH54, the Kimbolton Rd and North St intersection neighbouring Pharazyn St as well as South St and Waughs Rd.

On Thursday afternoon, at the Pharazyn St petrol station off of SH54, Feilding resident Claire Pope said she was happy to sign the petition, as motorists attempting to navigate the usual after-school traffic and fuel up their car on a discount day whizzed around her.

Pope felt it was necessary to "improve safety and flow" considering the number of schools in the area.

A cyclist, who was stuck for more than five minutes attempting to cross from one side of Pharazyn to the other just after 3pm, said a roundabout would make things safer for motorists, cyclists and school children.

The community petition would likely form a business case for NZTA's consideration.

However, Ford said recent rates capping announcements from central government added an extra element of concern for elected officials.

Annual rates caps would influence whether the council pursued a more than $200,000 business case to improve the chances of NZTA further investigating "one of their intersections", he said.

"There's risk we spend that money, and the answer remains 'no'."

Ford said the highest priority intersections in his opinion were along Kimbolton Rd, because traffic along this corridor would increase greatly within the next decade once Maewa - a new residential area in northern Feilding - was complete.

Further developments within Kawakawa Industrial Park in Feilding, involving the busy Turners Rd and Waughs Rd on SH54, would also "become a lot more congested" in the coming years.

He hadn't signed the petition but Ford said he'd continue advocating for further investment in their roads.

NZTA told Local Democracy Reporting it acknowledged the petition and was "working closely with the council on options to cater to increasing traffic on the state highway network and on local council-managed roads."

Any future investments were subject to funding prioritisation but the agency said it was working with the council on a draft report, detailing the available options for improving these issues.

This report would then be used to determine a "whole-of-corridor approach", looking at the best option for this stretch of SH54.