Traffic began flowing on to the McKays to Peka Peka part of the ‘Ewy’ a year ago and as regular readers know, it hasn’t been problem-free.

Business groups in both Paraparaumu and Waikanae have pressured the NZTA for brown signs telling motorists what local facilities there are to discover, if they take the off-ramps. But Southwards and Nga Manu were the only ones to get such a sign.

The new highway having been built across a peat bog, combined with unsatisfactory substrate work and surfacing, caused premature roughness and vociferous complaints from residents about noise.

There have also been complaints from locals about car drivers travelling along Te Moana Road after getting off the ‘Ewy’ still being in ‘highway speed’ mindset.

The massive Maypole company subdivisions which commenced only about a month after the ‘Ewy’ opened are going to cause a lot of congestion around the Te Moana Road Interchange in years to come.

But there has been a positive aspect in that the old SH1 has become a lot quieter and safer. This reduced traffic has impacted on some of the businesses along it, but there are businesses that have welcomed it.   The Coastlands Paper Plus folks told us that there are more locals willing to use the Main Road to go shopping because it’s quieter and safer now and it’s a fair assumtion this includes a lot of those from the eastern side of the railway in Waikanae.

The opening of the Transmission Gully route two years from now will be the real biggie affecting traffic and development.