National Land Transport Programme 1996 - Northland newsletter

 

National Land Transport Programme 1996 National funding

National Land Transport Programme 1996 Northland summary

National Land Transport Programme 1996 Northland summary allocations

National Land Transport Programme 1996 Northland Local Roads funding

National Land Transport Programme 1996 Northland State Highway funding

A few months ago I posted the newsletters for other regions for the 1996 National Land Transport Programme (see Auckland, Wellington, Waikato, Gisborne/Hawke's Bay, Taranaki/Manawatu,  Canterbury, Otago/Southland), this is the newsletter for Northland region.

$50.4m was allocated to the region for the year, 47% of funding was provided to local roads, 52% to state highways and the remainder to public transport and administration (public transport being almost entirely funding paratransit services).

Key projects noted were:

• Funding to complete sealing of SH12 through Waipoua, as the last portion of state highway in Northland that was unsealed
• 82km of local roads in Far North District were sealed in the previous year, the programme continued into the following year with 24 new seal extension projects
• Nine new seal extension projects on local roads in Whangarei District
• Realignment of SH1 north of Hukerenui
• Urlich Hill relignment on SH10
• Brynderwyn North widening on SH1
• Kamo Bypass design

In Transit - February 1996 - Set up of Transfund

The February 1996 issue of In Transit newsletter led with announcement of the Transfund New Zealand Establishment Board to set up Transfund New Zealand later in that year. Transfund would take over the land transport funding function from Transit New Zealand (leaving Transit New Zealand's sole function as the state highway manager).  This functional separation was undertaken in the second term of the Bolger Government, but would be reversed in the third term of the Clark Government in 2008.

Other stories in this newsletter include:

• Realignment of a flood prone section of SH7 west of Hammer
• Start of a project to seal 23km of Far North District roads north of the Hokianga, funded 62% by Transit New Zealand. This reflected a revision to project evaluation procedures that increased the value of sealing roads. It was noted that at the time 77% of roads (by distance) in the Far North District were unsealed.
• A five-fold increase in logging expected in Northland by 2005 following a survey of local timber companies.
• A survey of Transit's performance sent to local authorities and consultants.
• Near completion of the Pott's Hill realignment on SH57 north of Levin, at a cost of $2.1m.  This realigned a previously dangerous and winding section of highway.
• Project audits of 15 projects indicated 13 out of the 15 met or exceeded the funding cutoff of a BCR off 5. 
• Sponsored roadside toilets.
• Moves to ensure speed advisory signs (applied to approaching corners) are applied more consistently, so drivers can respond to them more appropriately.

National Land Transport Programme 1996 - Auckland regional office

 

NLTP 1996 - Auckland regional information

NLTP 1996 - Auckland/Northland summary allocations

NLTP 1996 - Summary of regional allocation by output class for Auckland

NLTP 1996 - Auckland local road construction funding

NLTP 1996 - Auckland local road safety construction funding

NLTP 1996 - Auckland State highway safety construction

NLTP 1996 - Auckland State highway construction and passenger transport funding

In the final of the NLTP 1996 regional newsletter series, is Auckland, which had by far the greatest funding allocation.  $184 million was allocated for Auckland and Northland. This newsletter mostly focuses on Auckland.  Key Northland projects include completion of the sealing of SH12 through the Waipoua Forest and local road seal extensions.  The output classes with the greatest share of spending were state highways.

Key state highway projects were commitments to complete:

• SH16 North-Western Motorway Rosebank interchange (providing eastbound off and on-ramps at Rosebank Peninsula)
• SH16 North-Western Motorway Western Springs to Newton widening
• SH20 South-Western Motorway extension connecting Mangere Bridge to the Papatoetoe Bypass and Kirkbride Road (to connect to George Bolt Memorial Drive)
• SH1 Southern Motorway widening Papatoetoe-Manukau-Manurewa 6-laning

Largest local road projects were:

• Auckland City's South East Arterial project (now the South Eastern Highway) from Church St to Pakuranga Bridge (a scaled down version of a planned motorway from the SH20 to Pakuranga and along the former south-eastern corridor.
• Completing the sealing of former SH16 (which is now once again SH16) at Cleasby's Hill.

In addition are a number of intersection and local street upgrades to improve capacity and safety.

Notable was funding granted for design of notable major projects:

• Albany-Puhoi extension to Northern Motorway, between Albany and Orewa (subsequently built)
• SH20 Hillsborough Road to Dominion Road extension (subsequently built beyond to Mt Roskill)
• SH1 Victoria Park widening (subsequently did not proceed but was replaced by the Victoria Park Tunnel)
• SH1 High occupancy lane extensions in advance of the Northern Busway (between Esmonde Road and the Auckland Harbour Bridge)
• SH1 Schedewys Hill Bypass (superseded by the Puhoi-Warkworth motorway)
• SH1 Kawakawa Bypass (not yet built)
• SH1 Kamo Bypass (subsequently built)

In Transit No.57 October 1994 - forestry impacts on future road maintenance

 

In Transit October 1994 No. 57

In Transit October 1994 No. 57

In Transit October 1994 No.57

In Transit October 1994 No. 57

This issue highlighted challenges from growth in forestry traffic on both state highways and local roads, as Transit NZ had surveyed 18 local authorities expected to be most affected by growth in logging traffic. A 25% increase was expected over five years overall.  The key conclusion was that Transit NZ could fund the maintenance on its network and its share of local road maintenance, with the need being for local authorities to meet their share of funding their networks. 

Other key points in this issue:

• Up to $7m of funding provided to Far North and Whangarei District Councils to both reseal and extend the length of seal on local roads in both districts (all of which have a BCR of 5 or over)
• Discussion about the future of the old Mangere Bridge (which was ultimately dismantled and replaced with a new walking and cycling bridge which opened in 2022).
• Western Australia learning from Transit NZ about addressing accident blackspots.
• Design of the proposal for an alternative to the Wellington Urban Motorway extension, which was ultimately built as the Inner City Bypass Stage 2 (Karo Drive, new on-ramp and Vivian St one way eastbound).