FUTURE HIGHWAY PLANNING: LAND BEING BOUGHT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22657, 7 June 1948, Page 6

FUTURE HIGHWAY PLANNING: LAND BEING BOUGHT

WELLINGTON, June 5

“New Zealand’s future motorways are being planned so that the necessary land may be acquired before it is too late,” stated the Minister of Works, Mr. It. Semple, when describing the progress made in bringing last session’s legislation into operation. The Minister 'said he did want to leave things until the required land for improved highways had been developed and built out. as had happened in some cases where oy-pass roads were provided to relieve congested areas.

“It has become apparent," said the Minister, “that the capacity of the existing main routes adjacent to the cities is already being overtaxed, thus leading to economic loss in transportation costs and, of even greater importance, - the accident potential on these roads is rising at an alarming rate.”

There was no intention, explained Mr Semple, to build a motor highway from Wellington to Auckland, Works of higher priority, such as housing and hydro-electric development, prevented construction going ahead as the Minister wou’d like, but the construction had started of limited access roads from Auckland to by-pass Penrose, and north of Wellington from Johnsonville to Porirua.

The increasing traffic of the future would necessitate motor roads from Auckland to Whenuapai. between Wellington and Levin and Napier and Hastings and land for these routes was being purchased as surveys were made.

As far as the South Island was concerned concluded the Minister, the cities themselves were not generally .so far advanced with their town planning schemes, and for this reason the location of motor highways could only be approximately established in the meantime.

However, an investigation was being commenced on the northern ami southern outlets from Christchurch, the outlets from Dunedin and for a few miles to the north from Invercargill, while consideration would be given to any other route where the traffic volume might justify a motorway.