Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman’s councils had been pushing for upgrades to the Weld Pass since 2015, estimated to cost $16 million, and dubbed it their “most significant project”.
Vehicles had a “high probability” of plummeting off Weld Pass in a crash, made even more possible by the road's tight bends.
“We have become a victim of the Government Policy Statement [on land transport]. The Government is prioritising other things, like improving cycleways and walkways,” Maher said.
“If something is not done to that piece of road in the next 20 years, it will be like we're stepping back into the Dark Ages.”