1996 National Roading Programme: Waikato/BOP NRP news

The Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional spending for the 1996 National Roading Programme had the following main statistics:

• $99.47m for Waikato. State Highway maintenance and construction spending was the main output class, with 50% of spending. 
• $44.44m for the Bay of Plenty. State Highway maintenance and construction spending was the main output class, with 51% of spending.

Main increases for state highway spending were for additional reseals, additional pavement rehabilitation and additional road markings.

Safety projects of note were:

• Hamilton City arterial street lighting upgrade
• Rotokauri Street safety improvements, Hamilton City
• SH2 Sargents Corner realignment 
• SH27 Maukoro Landing Road intersection upgrade
• SH5 Tarukenga Curves Stage 2 realignment
• SH5 Tumunui South realignment
• 32.3km of seal extension throughout both regions

No new state highway construction projects were approved because of the high value of committed works, and all but two local road construction projects were seal extension projects. The seal extension projects were in Otorohonga District, Waitomo District, Opotiki District, Western Bay of Plenty District and Whakatane District.

Committed major projects included:

• SH1 Pokeno Bypass (extension of Waikato Expressway)
• SH1 Mangatawhiri Bridge realignment (part of Waikato Expressway)
• Hamilton City Pukete Arterial Stage 1
• SH2 Church-Timber Mill
• SH25 Kuaotunu Hill seal extension
• SH25 Coromandel-Whangapoua seal extension
• SH5 Earthquake Flats realignment

Transfund NRP news Hamilton Office 1996 p1

Transfund NRP news Hamilton Office 1996 p2

Transfund NRP news Hamilton Office 1996 p3

Transfund NRP news Hamilton Office 1996 p4

Transfund NRP news Hamilton Office 1996 p5

Transfund NRP news Hamilton Office 1996 p6

Connections March 1995 - Pokeno Bypass and announcement of strategy for Waikato Expressway

 

Pokeno Bypass

Pokeno Bypass

Waikato Expressway

Waikato project update

In this edition of Connections, the Hamilton regional office newsletter, the focus as in the national newsletter, is on the Pokeno Bypass, with over two pages dedicated to how the project will enable the town to be upgraded and grow.  The other key point in this issue is the strategy for a "four lane highway from Ohinewai to Cambridge" which would later be known as the Waikato Expressway (completed at the end of 2022!).  The thought at the time was to use as much existing road as possible, but that bypasses would be looked at for Ngaruawahia and Huntly.  The report noted four-laning was already underway at Tamahere between Hamilton and Cambridge, and projects south of the Bombay Hills (including the Pokeno Bypass) that extend the motorway to Mercer (because both locations were accident blackspots).  A separate strategy is being developed between Mercer and Ohinewai.  

Finally, a whole page dedicated to a long list of projects of various scale across Waikato, ranging from the three projects on SH1 between the Bombay Hills and Cambridge, along with a large number of mostly safety oriented realignment projects across the region, plus finishing the sealing of SH25 Coromandel, Fairy Springs Road 4-laning in Rotorua.  This all emphasised the focus of funding at the time on small to medium sized safety oriented projects.

Connections August 1994

 

Connections August 1994

Connections August 1994

The Hamilton Regional Office published a newsletter called Connections, this is the first edition. It summarises progress on a range of projects in the Waikato region. Of historical note are:

• Upgrades to SH25 around the Coromandel Peninsula including completing the sealing of the highway!
• Three major SH1 projects that all comprised part of the Waikato Expressway and were the first stages of the expressway.

Other projects listed include realignments at Mangaiti Hill south of Tokoroa, Tuahu realignment south of Atiamuri (both on SH1), Chinaman's Hill realignment and Te Kawa Crossroads on SH3, and the Whakahora Deviation on SH27.  Altogether it highlights how many relatively small, but high value projects were being advanced with Benefit Cost Ratios of 5 and above in the region, primarily because they would reduce serious accidents.

SH25

In 1994, there was concern about the need to make the only highway around the Coromandel Peninsula safer and more resilient. A key part of this is sealing the section from Whitianga to Coromandel to enable a sustainable and attractive tourist route.  

SH1

The term "Waikato Expressway" had not been coined yet, but Transit NZ had already made a strategic decision to plan for a four-lane highway between Auckland and Cambridge.  The three projects mentioned are under construction, out to tender and under design respectively:

• Tamahere Deviation: 3.5km of expressway south of Hamilton at the intersection with Airport Road, justified due to the poor accident record, but showed some considerable foresight to build the first segment of expressway in Waikato.  Note the construction cost of only $9 million.
• Mangatawhiri Bridge Realignment: This segment south of Pokeno eliminated a sharp and narrow section of highway (now Pioneer Rd).  Noting that it took 2.5 years of loading on the ground due to the soft soils, which would prove to be an issue for other segments of road in this area, and was a short four-lane segment designed to connect with..
• Pokeno Bypass: Hard to believe now, but in 1994 SH1 went through Pokeno.  The new 4km bypass connecting directly with the (then) recently opened Bombay Hills Interchange would, with the Mangatawhiri project, effectively extend the expressway south to Mercer,  As with other early segments, the accident rate in Pokeno, plus travel time and fuel savings made this a highly efficient project to advance.