In Transit - July 1998 - No. 93 - Flood damage and summary of state highway funding under 1999 National Roading Programme

The July 1998 edition of InTransit primarily focused on repairs to flood damaged highways in Taranaki, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Northland.  However, it also included a summary of state highway funding under the 1999 National Roading Programme, funded by Transfund NZ at the time.

Highlights were:

• $444.2m of funding for the year for Transit NZ for all of its work, around half of all funding going to Transit NZ, the remainder going to local authorities for local roads and public transport.
• $221m of Transit's funding was for state highway maintenance
• The funding threshold for new projects was maintained at a BCR of 4:1. 
• Projects separated into Category 1 (approved now) and Category 2 (funding approved dependent on finalising resource consents, property purchases).

New projects with approved funding were listed by region, with those mentioned (that were not already committed) including:

• Design of Grafton Gully upgrade on SH16
• Structural upgrade of Auckland Harbour Bridge to meet seismic standards
• Development of ATMS on Auckland's motorway network
• SH2 Sargants Corner realignment, Hauraki District
• SH5 Rotorua Stockpile Curves realignment
• SH3 Awakino realignment
• Four-laning of Old Taupo Road Rotorua (SH5)
• Route J, Tauranga (SH2)
• White Pine Bush South realignment SH2, Hastings District
• Glengarry Hill realignment SH5, Hastings District
• SH3A South Clearview Curves realignment, New Plymouth District
• Urenui Bridge replacement SH3, New Plymouth District
• Investigation/planning for SH1 4-laning, realignment from Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay, Porirua City
• Maisey-Bronte realignment SH60, Tasman District
• Candy's Bend to Starvation Point realignment, SH73
• SH1 Hawkswood Deviation near Cheviot
• Six single-lane bridge widenings SH6 Makaroa
• SH1 Gore Main Street improvements
• SH1 Fairfield Motorway Dunedin (extension of Southern Motorway beyond Green Island)

In Transit - March 1998 - No. 89 - Mobile phone dangers and preparation needed for major state highway projects

The March 1988 edition of InTransit highlights the growing dangers of mobile phone use on road safety, noting a paper to be delivered at a forthcoming conference reporting "mobile-phone users who make more than three calls per trip have nearly three times as many injury accidents and twice as many fatal accidents as those who never use a mobile phone".

At the time the then Land Transport Safety Authority noted that there were more crashes due to people lighting a cigarette or adjusting a car stereo than a mobile phone, but of course the numbers of the public with mobile phones in 1998 were still relatively modest.  A smaller article on the second page notes a Canadian paper that mobile phone use increases driving danger as much as drunk driving.  In 1998 there was no specific offence in New Zealand of driving whilst using a mobile phone.

Other notable articles in this edition are:

• A major project update noting progress on the following projects:
• Stage One Kamo Bypass, SH1, Whangarei (subsequently completed)
• Orewa Bridge replacement, SH1 Rodney District (completed the following month)
• Albany-Silverdale (ALPURT), SH1 Auckland, construction contracts let, resource consents sought for Silverdale to Puhoi (subsequently discontinued as the project was reprioritised and redesigned to be a toll road).
• Mercer-Cambridge four laning (later dubbed the Waikato Expressway). Designations sought for Mercer to Ohinewai, and corridor options being considered for Ohinewai to Cambridge. At the time it was thought the project would be completed in 2010, but was completed in 2022.
• Kopu Bridge replacement, SH25. Expected to be completed 2002, it was actually completed 2011.
• Hawke's Bay Motorway (later Expressway). Pakowhai to Hastings under construction, the York Road  (bypassing Hastings) extension under design. Full completion expected 1999 (which was true for those sections, but the final extension south was not completed until 2011).
• Vinegar Hill realignment, SH1 Manawatu. Under construction and was completed 1999
• Newlands Interchange, SH1 Wellington, under construction and completed late 1998
• Thorndon Motorway Viaduct seismic strengthening SH1, Wellington, under construction and completed 1999 (images included in this edition).
• Stoke Bypass, SH6 Nelson. Work commenced and would be completed on schedule in 2000.
• Otira Viaduct, SH73 Canterbury, Work underway and concluded in 1999
• Fairfield Bypass SH1 Dunedin, Route designation and resource consent applications lodged. Project would be completed in 2003.
• Success of the Thorndon motorway viaduct seismic strengthening project, designed to ensure it can survive a 1 in 500 year earthquake of up to seven on the Richter scale.
• Article describing the process (in 1998) of developing a major highway project before construction could begin, the stages being:
• Strategic planning
• Investigation
• Design
• Planning approval
• Land purchase
• Construction
• Transit NZ adopting new standards on road lighting.

In Transit - December 1997/January 1998 - No. 87 - Installation of skid retardant surface near Petone

This edition of In Transit, highlights the successful installation of a new skid retardant surface under the Petone over bridge on SH2 near Wellington.  The new surface was credited with a 100% drop in crashes over seven months.  The new product, called Safe Grip, created 40% more friction.

Other stories in this edition include:

• Photos depicting the installation of the overbridge at the Newlands Interchange on SH1 in Wellington 
• Photo of turning the sod on the Pakowhai to Hastings section of the "Hawke's Bay Motorway" (now called the Hawke's Bay Expressway noting it is one lane each way).
• List of roadworks underway over Christmas/New Year.
• Presentation from Malaysia about privatising the countries toll road network.

In Transit - November 1997 - No. 86 - Summary of construction work commencing that summer

 

With the uplift in funding over the previous two years (lowering the benefit/cost ratio threshold of land transport funding capital works from 5 to 4.5 to 4:1), this edition of In Transit focused mostly on the construction work continuing and starting around the country at the end of 1997.  Perhaps what may be of interest today is the relatively modest price of so much construction work at the time, as even taking into account inflation (CPI) prices would be much more than the 88% increase since then, today.  Even on wage inflation of x 2.49, the costs of construction look modest. 

Key projects underway were:

• ALPURT (Albany-Silverdale extension of the Northern Motorway) enabling works, with opening expected in 2000 (and the whole route to Puhoi by 2002, which did not happen as funding priorities were changed following the change of government in 1999, seeing work terminate for several years at Orewa - and the Puhoi segment redesigned into a higher quality route and made into the first toll road under the Land Transport Management Act).  Budget at the time for the whole project was $175m
• Orewa bridge replacement (to be open February 1998).
• Te Here curves realignment, SH1 Waikato to be completed March 1998 ($750k)
• Napier-Hastings motorway extension (which did not become a legal motorway but rather classified as expressway). Essentially a two-lane limited access highway built from Pakowhai to Hastings along the long standing Hawke's Bay motorway corridor protected since the 1960s. Including the Ngaruroro River Bridge, the cost was $10.3m, and was described as the largest single road project in the region since the Runanga Deviation on SH5 in the late 1960s.  This provided a direct faster route from Napier to Hastings, especially as Omaha Road is adjacent to the main Hawke's Bay regional hospital. It was a 7.7km new road with a 323m bridge.
• Vinegar Hill realignment SH1 near Hunterville, at $5.8m. Includes 4.4km of new highway.
• Laws Hill realignment SH57 near Shannon at $3.5m, includes 2.5km of new highway and passing lane.
• Newlands Interchange Wellington SH1, at $17m
• Stoke Bypass Nelson SH6, at $26.2m including 7km of new road including grade separation and passing lanes.
• Otira Viaduct SH73 at $25m.
• Hawks Crag rock clearance SH6 Buller Gorge
• Tumai Realignment SH1 north of Dunedin at $2.8m, including 2.5km of realignment and a 800m passing lane
• Gorge Creek bluffs realignment SH8 between Alexandra and Roxburgh at $650k

Also mentioned is a sample of rough textured stone use for sealing road in Hawke's Bay to improve skid resistance and Transit's support for a speed enforcement campaign.

In Transit - October 1997 - No. 85 - Financial reporting database - AIMSUN modelling - ATMS trial

 The October 1997 edition of In Transit focuses on:

• Launch of the PROMAN project financial reporting database to track spending on all projects
• AIMSUN2 modelling software used in Mecca, may be used in Auckland
• Some evidence that NZ drivers appear to be more aggressive than those in some other countries
• Trial of ATMS to commence on Auckland motorway network
• Stormwater drain burst near Newlands Interchange project
• Electronic tolling to begin in two years with Melbourne Citylink project.

In Transit - September 1997 - No. 84 - National State Highway Strategy Released - Transit's proposal for road reform

The September 1997 issue of In Transit focused on the release of the draft National State Highway Strategy which was intended to outline the vision, goals and objectives for its management of the state highway system. The overarching vision was to "provide road users with safe and efficient state highway solutions", with four goals around safety, efficient, quality service and avoid or mitigating adverse environmental effects.  It included some specific goals including upgrading urban highways in main cities, such as four-laning rural corridors around Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington, building additional passing lanes and improving existing road alignments. The draft strategy was subject to a three month consultation.

Perhaps of greater interest are two smaller articles with an eye to reform of the sector.

The first, titled "Roading lessons from past point to future" noted that a 1953 report called the "Report of the Roading Investigation Committee" covered issued still valid in 1997. This included that road traffic was national in character and that the burden of paying for roads should shift from ratepayers to road users. The 1953 report recommended that the importance of a national network should be recognised. The report resulted in the National Roads Board being created.

The second titled "Transit calls for one company to provide all roads" was a note of Transit New Zealand's submission to the Ministry of Transport discussion paper "Land Transport Pricing Study : Options for the Future".  It proposed that the Government form a single road company to manage the entire national road network (including local roads). It would not be an enlarged Transit New Zealand (although it is hard to anticipate it wouldn't look like that) but a joint central and local government formed entity.

Transit New Zealand proposed the new company could charge road users directly, go into partnerships with the private sector and borrow money, and move away from government dependency for funding of roads. It included not imposing a cost of capital charge on existing roads (but implies new ones could) contracting out speed and overweight vehicle enforcement. and replace fuel tax. It also proposed that rates be replaced with a "property access charge" to reflect the contribution of road access to the value of a property. The intention being that all road users face the economic costs of their decisions.

In 2024, given the Government of the day wishes to replace fuel tax, it is interesting to consider how this was being considered by the state highway agency nearly 30 years earlier!

Other points in this edition include:

• Image of the construction of the Newlands Interchange, SH1 Wellington
• A symposium promoting greater use of cycling in urban areas and how that can be encouraged
• Image of a Kiwi Crossing sign on SH73 near Arthurs Pass
• Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia presenter to discuss keeping roads open in winter
• Photo of a delegation from the US Federal Highway Administration visiting New Zealand

1997/98 National Roading Programme : Transfund News June/July 1997 No.5 and In Transit July 1997 No.82

 

This post contains both the Transfund and Transit NZ newsletters focused on the 1997/1998 National Roading Programme, the second National Roading Programme released by Transfund.  The key point was that the funding threshold for capital works had been lowered from a BCR of 4.5/1 to 4/1 (it had been 5/1 for some years before then). This saw $829.2m (exc.GST) being spent in that year.  This saw a 20% increase in road construction. Main construction projects funded included:

• Widening Auckland's Northern Motorway northbound from Onewa Rd to Esmonde Rd
• Albany-Puhoi realignment (Albany-Silverdale-Orewa section)
• Realignment of SH26 Platts Rd, Waikato District
• Realignment of SH5 Stockpile curves, Rotorua District
• Realignment of SH33 Maungarangi S bends, Western BOP District
• SH1 deviation Taihape
• Ngaere Overbridge realignment SH3, Stratford District
• Plimmerton-Pukerua Bay realignment and four laning, SH1 Wellington
• Realignment Sloans-Tumai, SH1, Otago
• Stoke Bypass construction SH6
• Khyber Pass, Symonds St, Newton St intersection upgrade, Auckland City
• Mt Eden/Balmoral intersection upgrade, Auckland City
• ALPURT-Orewa Link Road, Rodney District
• Stage 2 Glenorchy Rd seal extension ,Queenstown-Lakes District
• Southern Catlins Scenic Route seal extension, Clutha District

Also of note were modest increases in maintenance funding for local roads and state highways, continuation of similar funding for public transport subsidies, and funding for investigation and design works on several major projects notably:

• Kopu Bridge replacement SH25
• East Tamaki Corridor Arterial, Manukau City (later built as Te Irirangi Drive)
• R1 Arterial Hamilton City (later built as Wairere Drive)
• Kapiti Sandhills Arterial (later cancelled in favour of the Kapiti Expressway on a similar alignment)

It was noted that passenger transport funding was up 25% in Gisborne/Hawke's Bay, 14% in Manawatu/Wanganui/Taranaki and 9.6% in Otago/Southland. 

A separate leaflet on the new structure for Transfund New Zealand was also published (see below)

The In-Transit newsletter focused understandably on the state highway projects. Besides the projects listed above, it also noted funding to improve the Taupo northern access, the Vinegar Hill realignment at SH1/SH54 intersection in Rangitikei District and the widening of seven one-lane bridges on SH6 in Queenstown/Lakes District, as one bridge on SH94.  

Other articles in the In Transit newsletter noted:

• Development of modelling of traffic flows;
• Continuing construction of the SH16 Rosebank-Patiki Interchange on Auckland's North-Western Motorway (providing east bound off and on ramps to pair with the westbound ones that had long existed).