The Mt Messenger tunnel was opened on what is now State Highway 3 south of Ahitītī in 1916 as a single lane with a sharp Gothic arch structure. it measures 5 metres wide and 4.5 metres high. By the late 1970s it was proving too small for large vehicles so was enlarged to its present semi-circular form in order to provide two-lane access around 1990.
In 1984 local artist Tom Mutch arranged a performance piece - along with several other sculptors - which used the newly enlarged tunnel entrance as the 'canvas' for an artwork at the same time as a companion piece was being carved in New Plymouth.
Mt Messenger is named after Colonel William Messenger, commander of the garrison at nearby Pukearuhe redoubt during the 1870s and 1880s.
Patea to Mokau and back (Patea Mail 21 February 1916)
LinkMt Messenger Tunnel (Mokau Museum & Gallery)
LinkCars could travel Taranaki's Mt Messenger Bypass in 2026, a decade after it was first announced (Taranaki Daily News 16 May 2022)
LinkMillions spent on legal battles to get Mt Messenger bypass built (RNZ 29 February 2024)
LinkTe Ara o Te Ata – Mt Messenger Bypass (NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi)
LinkRoad Tunnels of Taranaki
LinkPlease do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki.
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