NORTHERN OUTLET

Press, Volume C, Issue 29691, 8 December 1961, Page 11

NORTHERN OUTLET

Proposed Route Criticised

The Ministry of Works was trying to “sell the people of North Canterbury a real pup,” said Mr W. W. Wood, a Rangiora businessman, when he spoke on the proposed northern outlet at a meeting of the Christchurch Junior Council. A six-mile strip of highway going from nowhere to nowhere— this would be the motorway in its initial stages from Chaneys corner to Pinehaven. Mr Wood said. When completed, it would virtually duplicate the present highway, as at no stage would the two roads be more than a quarter of a mile apart The Ministry of Works’ route would constitute a Eave flood danger as it would ve to be elevated to pass over the many other roads in the area. It would act as a dam when the Waimakariri river overflowed, as ft had often done, and would do again. Thousands of acres of some of the best land in Canterbury could be inundated because of this, said Mr Wood. It would be strategically unsound from the aspect of civil defence, as the motorway bridge over the Waimakariri would be only 200 or 300 yards from the existing road and rail bridges. It would thus be subject to the same hazards, said Mr Wood. The alternative route proposed by the Rangiora Borough Council and supported by other organisations would go further west to cater for the expansion of Christchurch and Canterbury in that direction, he said. It would be shorter, would not cross at the same point as the other bridges, would not have to be elevated, would be on firmer, drier land, and would allow traffic direct access to the airport along Johns road, a contingency for which the Ministry of Works route would require an extra by-pass, he said. The Ministry of Works had not been able to substantiate reasons for the rejection of the Rangiora borough's proposal, nor could it give adequate reasons for its own route, said Mr Wood. Representatives of the Kaiapoi borough, which opposes the route suggested by Rangiora, will address t> future meeting of the junior council The council decided last evening to ask the Ministry of Works to give a talk on the motorway.