The feedback received indicated not only a high level of interest on the project within the community but also a similar degree of support for the recommended route through the gully.  The project team thoroughly analysed all the feedback received and a number of specific suggestions have been highlighted for addressing in on-going work on the project.

The preferred Transmission Gully route is estimated to cost $1.025 billion and should result in a saving of about $275 million on the inflation-adjusted cost of the originally designated alignment.  The preferred route has several advantages including greater resilience to earthquakes and less impact on waterways, and is cheaper to construct than the previous designated alignment.

The Transmission Gully project team is now working on Phase 2 which involves preparing the information required for relevant resource and associated consents.  This phase, for which an additional $17.5 million in funding has been released, is expected to take up to the end of 2009 to complete.

While $405 million has been earmarked for the Western Corridor highway if the Wellington Region reconfirms Transmission Gully as its No.1 land transport priority, there is still a shortfall in funding for the project with local councils needing to present a regional funding plan for the gap to the Government by late 2009.