Gully road opening December 2021?

It was meant to be the billiondollar Christmas present for the Wellington region, but now it could arrive in the wrong December.

The NZ Transport Agency has refused to comment on suggestions within the civil construction industry that Transmission Gully is now expected to open in December next year.

There’s no word either on whether its builders want to exit the project.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the road – mooted as a possibility a century ago – was on track for a November opening this year.

The level 4 lockdown put paid to any chance of that – plunging the agency, the Gateway Partnership contracted to deliver the road, and the road builder CPB-HEB into further negotiations.

Rumours about the new December 2021 completion date come alongside concerns about whether the company building the road wants to leave the project, and questions over cost-saving measures.

The agency refused to comment on suggestions the builder CPBHEB wants to exit the project. The agency would also not comment on details of the contract that might make an exit possible.

Earlier this year the agency settled claims made by CPB-HEB over unavoidable costs and delays, which saw it paid an additional $190 million. The opening deadline, already pushed back from April to May, was pushed back again to November this year.

A source in the industry has suggested that the agency was asked in negotiations to pay for asphalt to be used on the four-lane road. The original quote was for chip seal on the majority of the route, but longer-lasting asphalt would save costs on the Gateway Partnership’s contracted 25-year maintenance of the road.

Asphalt would likely cost the agency $40m to $60m if it were to cover the expense.

In a written response an agency spokeswoman once again said no comment would be made till the negotiations were completed.

The public-private partnership between Gateway and the agency was signed in July, 2014.

A HEB spokeswoman said the company was contractually prohibited from media comment, and referred questions to the agency.

Australian company CIMIC, of which CPB is a construction arm, declined to comment.