Big roading projects get build start dates
The much-anticipated Cambridge to Piarere Waikato expressway extension is due to start construction before 2027, a fresh New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) plan indicates.
Construction activity is also outlined between 2027 and 2034, implying things could take up to a decade.
The plan also suggests the other Waikato “roads of national significance” (RoNS) project, Hamilton’s Southern Links, will get underway between 2027 and 2030, with construction continuing between 2030 and 2034.
The announcement marks indicative starts for what will involve a major investment in the region.
The plan in the Waka Kotahi state highway investment proposal (SHIP), released by Transport Minister Simeon Brown on Friday, puts the estimated 10-year cost of Cambridge to Piarere at more than $1 billion, while Southern Links costs over the same period are put at up to $1 billion.
The money would come from the National Land Transport Fund and other unidentified sources.
In a statement, Brown said: “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy, and I’m pleased to see NZTA moving at pace in putting forward their proposed approach to deliver on the 15 RoNS.
“Over the next three years NZTA plans to begin construction on a number of the RoNS and establish a 10-year construction pipeline.
“NZTA will also look to accelerate project development through fast-track legislation, as well as seek new sources of funding and financing to ensure timely delivery.”
The SHIP document says the two Waikato RoNs projects are expected to “reduce congestion, improve safety, boost economic growth, and provide a more resilient roading network”.
The Cambridge to Piarere upgrade would shift SH1 “away from the vulnerabilities associated with the current route alongside Lake Karāpiro”.
“Hamilton Southern Links will also unlock land for housing development, going some way to addressing the population growth the city and the region are expecting.”
Southern Links is a 32km transport network to the south of the city, including 21km of state highways and 11km of local arterial roads.
Developing a west Hamilton network review joint business case with the city council is also a priority, the document says. This will involve a programme of improvements to address transport and access challenges on the city’s western side.
The agency said it would continue to look at a long-term plan for SH1 between Taupō and the Desert Rd, and prioritise replacing end-of-life bridges such as the SH25 Pepe Stream bridge in Tairua.
There would also be increased investment in the operation and maintenance of the region’s state highway network generally.
“Waikato is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and building resilience into the network is a priority across a range of areas, in particular the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki districts.”
The SHIP also outlines a wide range of other committed and proposed works costing in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
Waikato Chamber of Commerce chief executive Don Good was happy to see progress on the region’s RoNS, particularly how Cambridge to Piarere looked like starting during the current Government’s term.
The extension was important for safety reasons.