Upper Hutt City councillor and mayoral candidate Angela McLeod is backing local MP Chris Hipkins in his call for a review of the entire roading network from Upper Hutt to Wellington.
“It’s about time,” she said. “In fact, it’s long overdue.”
McLeod said there are quite a few projects on the cards which might or might not improve the driving experience from Upper Hutt to Wellington City, hospital and airport.
“That’s why a review is so important. The trick is to get the priorities right.”
She said while Melling is a bottle-neck for road users at peak travel times, so are other intersections and interchanges all the way from Maoribank to the airport.
“For example, who builds a tunnel with only one lane when there are two lanes going to it?
“It’s just common sense to look at all the issues we face on our roads. I hope the review finds that a plan for the entire transport network is much needed.”
McLeod says she looks forward to seeing a tangible, future-focussed outcome rather than a talk-fest.
“Hipkins is getting the ball rolling. Now we need to do something constructive with it.
“We can and must do better for everyone who relies on that stretch of our regional transport system,” she said.