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: 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

1996 National Roading Programme: Hawke's Bay/Gisborne NRP news

The 1996 National Roading Programme Napier regional office newsletter covers funding for the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne regions.  The primary focus for new work was local road seal extensions.

New construction projects funded included:

• Hawke's Bay Expressway (then called Motorway) extension enabling works Hastings to Pakowhai
• SH5 Beatties to Marshalls realignment
• East Cape Road seal extension 10km, Gisborne District
• Anaura Road seal extension 2.2km, Gisborne District
• Mangatu Road seal extension 4km, Gisborne District
• Mill/Lawn roundabout construction, Hastings District
• Napier-Taihape Road seal extensions, Hastings District
• Tangoio Road seal extension, Hastings District
• Kahuranaki Possum Bridge replacement, Hastings District
• Stardust (Mill) Bridge replacement, Napier Road, Hastings District
• Mohaka Township Road seal extension, Wairoa District
• Tiniroto Road seal completion (5km), Gisborne District

Also funded were major design projects including:

• Hawke's Bay Expressway Omahu-York Road (Hastings to Flaxmere)
• White Pine Bush S. Realignment, SH2
• King's Woolshed Realignment SH2
• Glengarry Hill Realignment SH5

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.