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)

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). 

1996 National Roading Programme: Manawatu/Taranaki NRP news

The 1996 National Roading Programme Wanganui regional office newsletter covers funding for the Manawatu and Taranaki regions. Key statistics were:

• $53.3m for the Manawatu region and $18.6m for the Taranaki region.
• Largest output class for the Manawatu was local road maintenance and construction at 40.5% of spending
• Largest output class for the Taranaki region was state highway maintenance and construction at 41.1% of spending

Major committed projects included:

• SH4 Laurence's Dropout
• SH3 Maxwell to Bushy Park upgrade
• SH57 Laws Hill realignment
• FItzherbert Avenue 4-laning in Palmerston North City

New construction projects funded included:

• 7.6km seal extension on SH43 Moki Tunnel
• SH3 realignment Mimi Curves
• SH1 Vinegar Hill realignment ($5.1m)
• SH43 Tahora Flats seal extension of 2.3km
• SH1 realignment south of Waiouru railway crossing
• SH2 Bradleys realignment south of Dannevirke
• SH3 Grants Hill corner realignment
• SH4 Waihapa curves easing

In Transit - October 1995 - Manawatu Gorge reopening

 

New Chairman for Transit New Zealand

Re-opening of Manawatu Gorge following slips

Reopening of Manawatu Gorge, RAAM review, upgrade of Rimutaka Hill and mass and dimensions review

Paremata-Pukerua Bay upgrade and SH57 Potts Hill Bypass opens

This edition of InTransit reports on the following:

• Appointment of the second chair in Transit New Zealand's history (since established in 1989)
• Cosmetic upgrades to parts of Auckland's motorway network in advance of the CHOGM meeting
• $2m spent to repair major slips in SH3 Manawatu Gorge and improve its resilience (Manawatu Gorge road was ultimately closed permanently in 2017 due to instability)
• Review of the Roading Assessment Maintenance Management (RAMM) programme
• Over $1m to be spent on SH2 Rimutaka Hill Road to address the tightest corners, extend passing lanes and shoulders
• Paper presented on heavy vehicle weights and dimensions
• Approval given to upgrade SH1 between Paremata and Pukerua Bay, including duplication of Paremata Bridge, Clearways on Mana Esplanade, 4-laning from Mana through Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay with median barrier on the rural section (subsequently all built), at a cost of $18m
• Opening of SH57 Potts Hill Bypass between Levin and Shannon
• Noting that the National Land Transport Programme will become the National Roading Programme when Transfund is formed in 1996.

Of some note is the decision by Transit NZ to progress upgrades to SH1 from Paremata to Pukerua Bay despite considerable local opposition.  The upgrades had high benefit/cost ratios which justified them being progressed although it was accepted that Transmission Gully was the long term solution, it was not seen as being able to be funded for around 15 years (which would prove to be about correct).   Transit also pursued a bypass of Pukerua Bay which was to have been built within 10 years, but ultimately did not proceed as a strategic decision to progress with Transmission Gully had been made.

National Land Transport Programme 1996 - Whanganui regional office newsletter (Taranaki, Manawatu-Whanganui)

 

Translink August 1995

NLTP 1996 Taranaki/Manawatu-Whanganui new projects

NLTP 1996 Taranaki/Manawatu-Whanganui new projects

NLTP 1996 Taranaki/Manawatu-Whanganui summary

Translink was the newsletter for the Wanganui regional office of Transit New Zealand, covering Manawatu-Whanganui and Taranaki regions. This edition on the NLTP 1996 noted the following spending in the regions:

• $40.5m total in Manawatu/Wanganui
• $18.2m total in Taranaki
• $30.7m  to be spend on local roads maintenance and capital (the majority of spending in the region)
• $262,000 for passenger transport funding

Major new projects (over $1m) include:

• Maxwell to Bushy Park Road Stage III realignment SH3 Whanganui;
• Laws Hill Realignment SH57 south of Shannon;
• Pipiriki Rd seal extension in Ruapehu District.

Other key projects noted were:

• Seal extension SH43 of 2.2km (representing the start of sealing this State Highway, which was still not fully completed in 2023!)
• Continuing the Potts Hill realignment SH57 north of Levin
• Completing Greatford realignment SH1 north of Bulls
• Completing 4-laning of Manawatu River Bridge and Fitzherbert Avenue Palmerston North

Notable is the relatively high spending on local roads in the region. State highway spending predominantly is focused on realignments, but the 4-laning of Manawatu River Bridge and Fitzherbert Avenue was about relieving congestion in Palmerston North between Massey University and the rest of the city.  

In Transit August 1995 No.66 - Manawatu Gorge and other roads damaged by storms - and announcement of the National Land Transport Programme

 

In Transit August 1995 No.66

The closure of SH3 in the Manawatu Gorge in 2017 due to slips was of course not the first occasion the road had been subject to significant damage. This edition of InTransit highlights a series of roads closed due to storm damage, including two major slips in Manawatu Gorge (one consisting of 5000 cubic metres of material).  The road was closed for nearly three weeks whilst it was cleared.  Other roads closed at this time of year included the Desert Road for 9.5 days, noting it wasn't worthwhile to have snowplows for on average a few days a year, especially since there are viable diversion routes bypassing the Desert Road.

Other features of this newsletter included:

• Target to seal all State Highways by 2002, which has still not been achieved in 2023.
• Approval for the final National Land Transport Programme in 1996, sustaining the Benefit/Cost Ratio for new capital projects at 5:1 (with $43 million to start new construction projects).  Key projects highlighted included more spending on sealing unsealed roads and planning for major projects, including the Auckland Automated Traffic Management System and the Napier-Hastings Motorway extension (latterly called expressway, and consisted of the extension from Pakowhai Road to Omaha Road (Hastings).   Note the difference between sustaining a BCR of 5 and lowering it to 4 (for new projects) was merely $17m, but at the time this was wholly determined by Cabinet as part of the budgetary process.
• Bulls Bypass designation revoked. It was decided that a long-standing bypass designation on the north-eastern side of Bulls (for SH1) would be revoked, because the BCR for the project would only be 1.3, meaning it was not seen likely to be funded for 10-20 years.  Peak Christmas traffic saw only minor increases in delays.

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.

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. 

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.