National commit to Hope Bypass

National has committed to funding a new bypass through Richmond and Hope to ease congestion in the town, with construction expected to commence in four to 10 years.

National announced on Monday its Transport for the Future plan which will deliver new Roads of National Significance, better public transport, and improve resilience.

The Hope Bypass is included in the plan, which would create a new four-lane road bypassing the current stretch of SH6 on Gladstone Rd at the cost of $250m.

National’s candidate for Nelson Blair Cameron, says today's announcement shows commitment to the region’s infrastructure.

“National is committed to improved transport for the people of the Nelson Tasman region and will fund this project, at a cost of $250 million, from the National Land Transport Fund and additional Crown capital.

Tasman Mayor Tim King says he’s “pretty happy” with the announcement which complements the investment made during the past few years.

“Waka Kotahi have done a significant amount of the planning which puts us in a good position and also that it actually complements the investment that’s been made over the last couple of years, and certainly this year, with the announcement of the increased public transport service. This complements that.

“I’m pretty happy. It’s been a project that, as a region, we’ve been promoting as a really high priority in terms of infrastructure investment for some time so anyone who proposes funding it in the short- to medium-term, very supportive of.

“The congestion around the Queen St and Gladstone Rd intersection is hugely frustrating and costly for the region,” he adds.

“This commitment to prioritise it will be welcomed by the thousands of people in Tasman who use this critical highway every day.”

Blair says the current highway is often congested and unsafe for residents.

“Building the Hope Bypass will provide a boost for our local economy and get people in Nelson and Tasman where they need to be, faster and safer.

“Around 20,000 vehicles travel on State Highway 6 along the Hope Straight and Gladstone Road every day, which will only increase as our population grows. The Hope Bypass will reduce congestion, improve the safety of local residents, and will link up to other roading improvement projects in the region,” he says.

“I have listened to residents from nearby lifestyle villages who have serious safety concerns navigating the Lower Queen Street intersection, and I have spoken with business owners and tradies that are frustrated to lose hours every day trying to get through the Richmond lights. As our population increases, the situation is worsening.”

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith welcomed the announcement.

“The Nelson-Tasman region contributes over $100 million a year in fuel taxes and road user charges into the National Land Transport Fund yet we risk being short-changed in getting no substantive investment in new highways this decade,” he says.

“We got Queen Elizabeth Drive in the 1980s, the Richmond Deviation in the 1990s, the Stoke Bypass in the 2000s, the Ruby Bay Bypass in the 2010s and we need the Hope Bypass in the 2020s.”

He says the region needs increased investment in all modes of transport covering cycling, buses, cars and trucks to support growth.

“The new eBus service is welcome but the biggest concern that has been raised with me by drivers is keeping on time with the bus depot in Richmond West and the congestion in Lower Queen St.”

Nelson MP Rachel Boyack says easing Richmond’s congestion was “critical” but National’s figures included in its announcement were “shonky”.

“National has a history of promising transport projects and not delivering in Nelson, like the Southern Link that was promised by National in Nelson for 30 years,” she says.

“This, combined with their shonky numbers means we just can’t trust they will deliver on their promises.

“I’ve been working closely with the Tasman District Council [TDC] and my MP colleagues to address the transport issues in Richmond… we now have a plan in place that has been agreed between TDC and Waka Kotahi, and I’m pushing hard for this project to be prioritised,” she says.

“It’s critical we sort the congestion in Richmond. The public transport improvements that I’ve advocated for and that start this week will help, and as I’ve stated... previously, sorting the congestion mess in Richmond will be my priority in my second term.”