Investing in Northland’s land transport

WAKA KOTAHI NZ TRANSPORT AGENCY HAS ANNOUNCED $751 million of investment in Northland’s land transport network over the next three years to improve safety, keep communities connected and support economic opportunities and freight movement.

The investment in Northland is part of a $24.3 billion programme of investment planned for New Zealand’s land transport system over the next three years, detailed in Ngā Kaupapa Huarahi o Aotearoa | 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), published by Waka Kotahi.

“Our investment in Northland through the NLTP will help create a land transport system that gives Northlanders better access to employment and education opportunities, supports the safe and reliable movement of freight and strengthens the resilience of important corridors to keep communities connected,” says Steve Mutton, Waka Kotahi Director Regional Relationships for Auckland and Northland.

“Improving people’s safety is a top priority for Waka Kotahi and we’ll be investing more than $100 million in Northland over the next three years to help reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the region’s roads.

“This includes adding median barriers and other safety improvements in key locations and reviewing speed limits across a number of corridors, including along 80 kilometres of SH1 from Whangarei to Wellsford, which is a high-risk rural road,” Mr Mutton says.

“Work will be completed on replacing the one-lane Kaeo Bridge with a new two-lane bridge that will make journeys safer and improve economic outcomes for communities in the Kaeo area.

“Work to support safe and efficient freight movements to and from the port at Marsden and to Auckland will also continue, with Northland’s economy reliant on dairy, forestry, farming and horticulture. Through this NLTP we’ll fund a 19km rail link to Marsden Point and upgrade the line between Whangārei and Otira to handle heavier trains.”

Across the region, $344 million will be spent on maintenance and operation of local roads and state highways to support freight and tourism connections.

“Walking and cycling infrastructure in the region will also be developed further with $36 million of investment to encourage people to use active, healthy, low-carbon travel options. With investments through the NLTP over the next three years we’ll extend shared paths in Whangārei delivering new sections of the Kamo and Tikipunga routes. A new Mangawhai Shared Path in Kaipara will make it safer to walk or ride along busy Molesworth Drive,” Mr Mutton adds.