“It’s a very important day for the communities. And it has been a very large investment from the Government but a very important one, and it’s going to be a fantastic resilient new road and be one that will last for generations to come.”

It was expected the 11.5km route would take less than 15 minutes to drive, an improvement on the windy alternative routes over the Saddle Rd and Pahīatua Track that were in use for the past eight years.

Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Rachel Keedwell said she hoped the new highway would be a much safer drive than the alternatives.

“The Saddle Rd was never designed to be a state highway – it was basically a farm track that turned into a road taking 9000 vehicles a day in heavy traffic,” Keedwell said, adding that the speed limit was dropped to 60km/h “for a reason”.

“There’s been many serious injuries and deaths on that road, so this is just going to be amazing. It’s a quick, easy ride, it’s safe, heavy traffic can get over it without holding up other traffic.”

Horizons Regional Council spanned communities on both sides of the range and Keedwell said the closure had been a big deal for the Tararua District in particular.

“It’s impacted on how people get to work, it’s impacted on how the community joins in to Palmerston North and, financially, people have borne the brunt of that, businesses as well as locals, and so bringing the connection back together, it just makes it seamless from one side of the region to the other.”

Karakia clears the path

Before dawn, karakia (prayer] rang out across the brand new Parahaki Bridge on the Ashhurst end of the new highway. The karakia was led by representatives of five iwi: Rangitāne ki Manawatū, Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a rua, Ngāti Kauwhata, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Raukawa.

Ngāti Kauwhata spokesman Meihana Durie said it was important for all the iwi to come together to recite the karakia.

“He tauira pai pea tēnā mō ngā ara katoa o te motu nei kia kaua e haere tapatahi ki te mahi engari mē āta kōrero ki ngā iwi, ki ngā hapū. Whakaae katoa ngā iwi, ngā hapū ki te hanga o tēnei rori nō reira mātau katoa e tino harikoa ana i tēnei rā,” Durie said in te reo Māori.

“This project might be a good example for other roading projects around the country to not go directly into the work, but to speak first with the iwi. All the iwi, the hapū [in the region] agreed to the building of this road so we are all very happy today.”

Rangitāne ki te Manawatū kaumātua Manu Kawana said the new highway took its name from a nearby landmark – Te Ahu a Turanga. That name in turn came from an ancestor named Turanga, who was a descendant of the Aotea waka from Taranaki. During a battle in the Manawatū Gorge, Turanga was mortally wounded, Kawana said.

“I tata hemo atu te tūpuna rā, arā piki ake i ngā riu o ngā pae Ruahine rā, i tae atu ā ia ki tētahi taumata, ko taua taumata ka kite atu nei i te maunga titohea koira pea tōna hiahia kia tae atu rā ki tētahi wāhi e taea ai te kite atu i tōna maunga. Katahi ka mate atu.”

“He almost died then, but he began to climb up the valleys of the Ruahine Ranges until he reached a peak, from there he could see Taranaki, perhaps that was his desire to reach somewhere where he could see his mountain. Then he passed away.”

There was still a stone on the mountainside marking the site of his death, Kawana said.

“Me mihi ka tika ki Te Ahu a Turanga taumata, i tikina atu ai te ingoa o te huarahi nei i tō mātau taumata tapu rawa atu,” Durie said.

“We must pay tribute to the peak of Te Ahu a Turanga, that name, the name of our most sacred peak was chosen as a name for this highway,”

– RNZ