There have been discussions this week about turning Transmission Gully into a bike lane - a change that proponents say will speed up the completion date of the project by more than a year.
The $1 billion roading project is being constructed by a public-private partnership between NZTA and the Wellington Gateway Partnership.
It has been beset by delays despite having been scheduled to open in April 2020.
A leading engineer told the Kapiti Cryer that the controversial project could easily be salvaged by turning it into a two-lane cycle path into and out of the city.
Mark Edwards who has worked on Transmission Gully for the duration of the project, said everyone he has spoken to agrees that the change from motorway to cycle path would best serve the Wellington Region.
"The thing that's slowing everything down at the moment is the amount of traffic that will eventually be driving on the road. If we could reduce that, we'll be humming."
Changing the plans would not only speed up the completion date of the project, but would also leave the road 'basically empty' during afternoon and evening rush hour traffic - an 'ideal result' according to Stevens.
"It's what you want, really - low noise, less pollution, less wear and tear on the road itself."
Edwards said not only would the road last for thousands of years if no-one was driving on it, he also pointed to the creation of new jobs that the change would instigate.
"You could have people running alongside the cyclists with refreshments like they do in the Tour de France."
The Cryer reached out to the NZTA for comment.
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