New push to get $100m bypass for Bethlehem<p>

JOHN COUSINS
CONSTRUCTION of a $100 million bypass needed to relieve pressure on one of Tauranga's most clogged stretches of road has received a fresh injection of support after it looked like nothing would happen for 10 years.
After a rethink yesterday, the committee representing the Bay's transport sector now wants investigations to begin on building the Northern Arterial from Tauranga to Te Puna.
Traffic planners have long believed bypassing the increasingly congested section of highway through Bethlehem would have the same impact Route J's opening had six years ago on solving Waihi Rd's traffic jams.
The Northern Arterial and Katikati bypass fell off the regional land transport committee's 10-year funding plan last month because the maximum amount of money it could raise for vital Bay-wide roading projects was $809m.
Members complained that the Government needed to contribute much more than $34m from the consolidated roading account.
Yesterday's committee meeting decided that $3m should be spent to investigate the Northern Arterial and Katikati bypass, even although no funding source could be identified.
The $809m funding plan, which included raising $100m from tolling Tauranga's Eastern Motorway to Paengaroa, now goes to Land Transport New Zealand for approval.
Western Bay councillor Ross Paterson led the fightback to at least investigate the Northern Arterial and Katikati bypass over the next 10 years, even if it meant construction did not start until after 2017.
He said rush-hour traffic regularly tailed back from Bethlehem to nearly reach Te Puna. "There are problems now."
Transit New Zealand's Tauranga manager, John Hannah, said afterwards the desirable traffic flow along the rural section of the highway was 18,000 vehicles a day. It was currently carrying 22,000 vehicles a day through Bethlehem.
Mr Paterson predicted serious consequences if things stood still for 10 years. He highlighted the urban development taking place and the plan for Omokoroa's population to increase nearly six-fold to reach 12,000.
"I don't believe $3m on top of $809m will be a significant problem for Land Transport New Zealand or ourselves.
Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby said it was important to keep these big arterial projects alive.
"We can't wait for 10 years."
Mr Crosby said the reality was they were not 10-year plans because of the changing face of how roading was delivered in New Zealand.
He said they were virtually forced at the last meeting to put the Northern Arterial out 10 years because of the extremely low national road funding contribution.
A Land Transport New Zealand representative had since indicated the national contribution would be considerably increased beyond $34m.