Transmission Gully concern from far and wide

People as far away as Finland, Slovenia and Estonia are showing surprisingly great concern over the Transmission Gully route between Wellington and Levin.

The long-awaited road link was given the go ahead as part of a $2.1 billion upgrade of State Highway 1 by the Government in December.

However, more than 700 people from 49 countries have signed a petition expressing their concerns about the route, which passes through the Kapiti Coast.

The petition, organised by the Alliance for Sustainable Kapiti (ASK), calls on the government to instead adopt the package of transport options proposed by the Kapiti Coast District Council to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

These options include the building of a "two-lane Western Link Road" and continued "improvement to the rail system".

"The construction of a major expressway through the heart of the Kapiti district would drastically change the coastal suburban/rural character of our community," the petition letter said.

So far, the online petition has been signed by individuals from countries including Estonia, Taiwan, Finland, China, Slovenia, Germany, Rwanda, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Chile, Canada, Palestine, Russia and Venezuela.

New Zealanders had also signed the petition, which was addressed to the Prime Minister.

- AAP