Road May Close for Airport

A MAJOR thoroughfare in Palmerston North could close to make way for an airport extension.

Under new international rules, the runway at the city’s airport must be extended if it is to retain its international services. This would require the clearance of land including a section of Milson Line, a route between Palmerston North and Feilding taken by more than 7000 cars a day.

Last year the airport company and its owners, Palmerston North City Council, pushed to close the road but an independent commission disagreed in favour of building a tunnel or a road around the runway extension.

Yesterday, the airport company announced it had requested that Milson Line be closed, and passed the issue on to the council.

City networks general manager Ray Swadel said closing the road made practical sense but an appeal against that could be lodged in the Environment Court.

Transit New Zealand regional manager Errol Christiansen said Transit would prefer that Milson Line was diverted around the extension. That would cost about $5.7 million. If the road were closed, state highways 3 and 54 to the west or the eastern road network would have to be upgraded to cope with increased traffic, at considerably greater cost.

Mr Swadel said a tunnel, estimated to cost about $30 million, was out of the question and the $5.7 million needed for a road around the extension would be better spent elsewhere.

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