Palmerston North Integrated Transport Initiative

Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road

The Manawatū Regional Freight Ring Road is a key part of the Palmerston North Integrated Transport Initiative (PNITI), which consists of 70+ projects to improve our roads.

The Ring Road aims to improve how freight and heavy vehicles move around the outskirts of Palmerston North and the wider region. It’s part of a long-term vision for the city to become the logistics and distribution hub of central New Zealand.

Key benefits of the ring road for Palmerston North

Reduce congestion and road deterioration

A purpose-built route for heavy vehicles to bypass the city would reduce congestion and road deterioration on residential streets, improving safety for everyone.

Improve travel times

The ring road would improve travel times for freight and reduce the number of vehicles travelling through the city, making the network more efficient for everyday commuters and freight operators.

Strengthen connections

The ring road would strengthen connections between key industrial areas, Te Utanganui – Central NZ Distribution Hub, and state highways, including Manawatū Tararua Highway – Te Ahu a Turanga.

We received feedback on 26 longlist routes in 2025

As part of the project’s Indicative Business Case, we held several community expos and workshops in late 2025 to get your feedback on a longlist of 26 potential routes across five sections of the ring road. More than 550 people took part. Feedback helped us refine the longlist of options to a shortlist.

That feedback was compiled into the report below.

Download the 2025 community engagement report(PDF, 21MB)

Maps and details for all the longlist route options we sought feedback on are in the information booklet below.

Read the longlist information booklet (December 2025)(PDF, 6MB)

We received feedback on 12 shortlisted routes in 2026

As part of the business case, we held community expos in October 2026 to get your feedback on 12 shortlisted routes and an emerging technical preferred option. This option showed where the technical evidence was pointing at that stage, but it was not a confirmed preferred route. More than 450 people took part.

We’re reviewing the feedback and expect to confirm a preferred route in early 2027. We’ll publish a community feedback summary report here when it’s ready.

Maps and details for all 12 shortlisted routes and the emerging technical preferred option are in the information booklet below.

Read the shortlist options booklet (October 2026)(PDF, 22MB)

The ring road is currently in the Indicative Business Case phase

A business case is about building the evidence before making a decision. For a project of this size, we first need to understand the problem we are trying to solve, compare the different ways of solving it and understand whether the investment stacks up.

For the ring road, the Indicative Business Case is looking at which route, or combination of improvements, could best support freight movement now and in the future.

The aim of this stage is to identify a preferred route for the future ring road, which is expected to be confirmed in early 2027. Once the preferred route is confirmed, more detailed design, consenting, funding and approvals would still be required before any construction could begin.

The business case is being developed in partnership with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Horizons Regional Council and Manawatū District Council.

Next steps

Once the business case is completed, it will be reviewed by elected members and, if approved, the project will move into the design, consenting, funding and construction stages.

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