Earlier tolls, tunnels likely

The toll motorway being built between Orewa and Puhoi, on the main route to Northland from Auckland, is expected to be completed at the end of 2008, six months ahead of its contract schedule, says project director Robert Jones.
Good progress with earthworks over the past year had led to the early completion date.
He told a Northland Federated Farmers meeting in Dargaville recently that any savings made in completing the $365million project early would be shared by the Northern Gateway Alliance contractors building the 7.5-kilometre motorway extension and Transit New Zealand.
The alliance consists of Transit NZ, Fulton Hogan, Leighton Contractors from Australia, road designers URS New Zealand, engineers Tonkin and Taylor, geotechnical engineers Boffa Miskell and cantilever bridge building specialists VSL from France. All companies report to Mr Jones, of Leighton Contractors, who said the project accounted for 25 percent of Transit's annual national budget. There are 130 professional staff and 250 workforce personnel on the job.
The motorway extension had been on the drawing board for 10 years before construction started in December 2004 with an official contract completion date of mid-2009. Mr Jones said the original plans for an 80km/h expressway had grown to a four-lane 100km/h motorway. Tunnels were being put through Johnson's Hill, north of Waiwera, and eco-viaducts built to reduce the expected environmental impact of original plans for cuttings, filling and culverts.
Mr Jones estimated the $20million extra cost of those measures would have been saved by getting construction under way rather than battling through environmental issues while costs increased.
The project involved moving three million cubic metres of earth. Mr Jones said 20 minutes of rain would stop operations, and if it rained all day work would stop for three days. Contractors could count on earthworks proceeding on only 100 days annually.
Operators on the electric-powered roadheader cutting the tunnels followed computer screen images showing GPS survey information to keep them on track.
Even earthworks compactors had screens showing operators how many passes they needed to make to complete their work to design specifications.
Toll collection facilities are not included in the Alliance contract.
Transit NZ national communications manager Denise Beazley said that based on 2004 figures, tolls were likely to be $1.80 for cars charged in each direction and $3.60 for heavy commercial vehicles.
Instead of paying at a toll booth, vehicles would be identified electronically on the road. The present route between Orewa and Puhoi will remain available.