Common Sense Prevails on Flyover

We are pleased Wellington City Council has finally seen sense over the Basin Reserve congestion and now it must ensure the project proceeds as soon as possible, says Wellington Employers’ Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Raewyn Bleakley.

“It took a while but we got there.

“Dilly-dallying threatened to put this vital project back further and further and jeopardise government transport funds.

“The Basin is a major congestion point in the city’s and the region’s transport infrastructure and it must be fixed as a matter of urgency.

“The council could not continue to put at risk the funding earmarked for the flyover by continuing to cling to the idea that major roading investment was not needed.

“The Wellington Employers Chamber of Commerce made it clear in a letter to councillors early this week that they were standing in the way of progress on this matter and that efficiency gains from the proposed second Mt Victoria tunnel and other nearby road changes would be severely compromised if traffic flow at the Basin was not improved.

“We told them it would have been a calamity if those nearby projects did not proceed.

“The Wellington business community is a substantial contributor of rates and we wanted to make it clear that it is imperative for the future success of the city that no more time was wasted on this.

“I’m delighted they listened. Common sense has prevailed.”

“We now expect the council to work collaboratively with NZTA through the next stages of the process,” Ms Bleakley concluded.

Click here to access letter to city councillors

ENDS

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