24 Dec 2014

Nelson highway back on the cards

6:03 pm on 24 December 2014

A controversial new highway linking Nelson city to its port has taken what the city's MP calls a significant step forward.

Dr Nick Smith.

Dr Nick Smith. Photo: RNZ

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A controversial new highway linking Nelson city to its port has taken what the city's MP calls a significant step forward.

The Transport Agency has announced it is calling for design tenders for the Southern Link road.

But residents in Victory, the suburb in which the road would be built, say it will cut their community in half.

The planned highway would create a link between Whakatu Drive and Queen Elizabeth the Second Drive - effectively linking the city to the port.

It would help reduce traffic flow, particularly noisy logging trucks, through the suburb of Tahunanui and the scenic waterfront Rocks Road.

Nelson MP Nick Smith said the new highway was critical to maintaining Nelson's viability as the region's retail hub.

But the convener of the Nelson transport strategy group, Peter Olorenshaw, said although the new road would improve traffic flow for some parts of the city, it would devastate the Victory community.

"I don't think it's a significant step, I think it's NZTA just getting on with the process."

He said the highway was not yet a done deal.

The deadline for design tenders was 5 February.