Tickets have been selling fast for a chance to walk the new Te Ahu a Turanga - Manawatū-Tararua highway in January.

I-Site manager Carole Wilton said she had received a number of calls from people asking about the tickets since they went on sale on Monday.

“People are very excited and looking forward to doing the walk,” she said.

The highway, which will lie between Ashhurst and Woodville, is being built to replace the road through the Manawatū Gorge, which was permanently closed due to a slip in 2017.

Construction began on the new road in January 2021 and is expected to be completed by December 2024.

Drone footage from Waka Kotahi showing some of the progress made. Photo / Waka Kotahi

Meantime, people will be able to see the progress during a walk being held on January 22, organised by Woodville Lions Club and Woodville School.

There will be five times during the day to walk the highway - the first at 9am and the final at 1pm, with the choice of a 6-kilometre walk starting at Cooks Road, or a 12km walk starting from Ashhurst.

Groups will be picked up by bus at Hope Road and taken to the starting point, Wilton said.

Those wanting to participate will need to have a reasonable level of fitness, as the routes include uphill and downhill sections, and those wanting to take part should note that no strollers, babies in backpacks, bikes or wheelchairs will be allowed.

Tickets cost $30 and are available from the Tararua I-Site. Phone 0800 827 278 or email: [email protected].