1996: National Roading Programme: Auckland/Northland NRP news

 The Auckland/Northland newsletter for the 1996 National Roading Programme of Transfund NZ.

It was noted that 46% of spending in Auckland was road maintenance.  The newsletter has a comprehensive list of all state highway and local road projects funded, including investigation and design in Auckland and Northland. Notable in this NRP was approval of funding for the extension of the Northern Motorway from Albany to Silverdale, which continued to Orewa until funding to proceed was suspended in the early 2000s until tolling was authorised for the Orewa to Puhoi section. Investigation and design also began for a series of other major motorway projects in Auckland, including extensions of SH16 and the Upper Harbour Motorway SH18.

Major committed projects included:

• SH16 Northwestern Motorway Rosebank and Patiki Rd Interchange construction
• SH20 Southwestern Motorway extension Quarry Rd (Mangere Bridge) to Massey Rd (Papatoetoe), connecting the Mangere Bridge to the Pupatoetoe Bypass, and towards the Airport to George Bolt Memorial Drive
• Auckland City Southeastern Arterial (Church Street-Mt Wellington-Pakuranga Motorway).

New construction projects included:

• SH1 Northern Motorway extension Albany to Silverdale
• SH1 Auckland Harbour Bridge seismic upgrade
• SH1 Orewa Bridge replacement (pre Silverdale-Puhoi extension of Northern Motorway)
• SH1 Puhoi-Wellsford passing lanes
• 16km of seal extensions in Rodney District
• Wairau Road intersection upgrades in North Shore
• Thirteen seal extension projects in Far North District
• Eight seal extension projects in Whangarei District

New investigation and design work was funded for future projects:

• SH1 Warkworth-Dome Alley improvements
• SH1 Schedewys Bypass
• SH1 St Marys Bay/Victoria Park Viaduct widening/tidal flow (this did NOT proceed and was replaced by the Victoria Park Tunnel)
• SH16 Northwestern Motorway Brighams Creek extension
• SH18 Upper Harbour Motorway
• SH20 Southwestern Motorway extension Hillsborough to Dominion Road
• SH1 Southern Motorway Greenland Interchange upgrade
• SH1 Southern Motorway Otahuhu Interchange upgrade
• Auckland ATMS
• Orewa Link Road to connect to Silverdale-Puhoi extension of Northern Motorway

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In Transit December 1994/January 1995 No. 59 - the storm damage issue

 

In Transit December 1994

In Transit December 1994

In Transit December 1994

In Transit December 1994

In December 1994, Transit NZ was reporting on reconstruction over the past year on highways in Milford and Haast due to rainfall. However, it was able to fund reconstruction and restoration from its existing funding under the National Land Transport Programme.  It notes over 100km of road had been rebuilt or repaired, following massive rock falls and slips demolishing large segments of highways and burying bridges.  Christchurch was also hit, but it was noted that major projects were not badly affected.

This issue also reports:

• Construction of the Eland-Glengarry realignment on SH5 (Napier-Taupo Road) realigning 5km of state highway (and having a BCR of 7.6) 
• Decision to build passing bays in Homer Tunnel, partly because large tour coaches find it difficult to pass in the tunnel. The passing bay proposal had a lower BCR than the funding threshold, but funding was approved due to its strategic importance to tourism.
• Series of projects in Wellington including realignment of 1km of SH58, Martinborough flood relief bridge, Newland flyover construction commenced, Whangamoa Hill deviation on SH6 Marlborough underway, design of the Stoke bypass commenced, planning for bypasses of Ruby Bay and Motueka.
• Major public consultation on options for SH1 between Porirua and Waikanae, these were in response to Transmission Gully not being able to be funded in the foreseeable future.  Noting Transmission Gully was estimated to cost $150m at the time and not expected to be funded for at least 15 years (2009).  However, the Transmission Gully route was still to be designated to protect it from development and to give landowners certainty. 
• All Northland state highways will be sealed by 1996 following a contract to seal the last 10km of SH12 through Waipoua Forest, noting special root bridges were designed to avoid damaging kauri tree roots.
• Contract awarded to realign the Waiau Bridge and approaches in north Taranaki on SH3.
• Waikato projects including four-laning of Fairy Springs Road in Rotorua, sealing of the last 6km of SH25 Coromandel, Pokeno bypass, Mangatawhiri Bridge realignment and Tamahere deviation (Waikato Expressway).
• Auckland projects including completion of the Bombay Hills motorway extension, commencement of construction of the Mangere motorway (connecting the Mangere Bridge with the Papatoetoe Bypass and including the Airport motorway connection) and completion of the Upper Harbour highway interchange on the Northern Motorway.