Auckland and Waikato get roads boost

Auckland's Western Ring Route and the Waikato Expressway are the major winners from a $500 million funding injection.

However, tolling will be needed on some of the developments, Transit New Zealand warned.

The agency announced today how it would use $390 million of the money - announced by the Government in June - it had allocated to state highways.

Transit NZ chief executive Rick van Barneveld said $280 million of the money would go to advancing projects relating to Auckland's Western Ring Route.

About $50 million would be spent on advancing aspects of the Waikato Expressway.

The balance of the money would go towards advancing Wellington's Dowse to Petone interchange and a raft of small and medium-sized projects around the country, Mr van Barneveld said.

The Western Ring is intended to dramatically reduce congestion through central Auckland by providing an alternative to SH1 between Albany and Manukau City.

The SH18 Hobsonville Deviation will start this financial year and the scoping and design phases of the SH20 Avondale Extension and SH20 Manukau Harbour Crossing will be accelerated.

The extra money meant construction on the Avondale Extension could now start in 2009/10.

But both the Avondale and the Manukau Harbour Crossing projects, estimated to cost $1.15 billion and $184 million respectively, would probably require tolling, Transit NZ said.

In Waikato the $50 million would be spent on the design and construction of the SH1 Te Rapa Bypass and SH1 Ngaruawahia Bypass. Tolls were also likely there.


Prime Minister Helen Clark said the biggest problems were in Auckland and therefore the city was the biggest beneficiary of the extra funding.


Of the $110 million allocated to non-state highway projects, $50 million would go towards Auckland commuter rail projects.


"More and better integrated public transport has to be an essential element of keeping people moving in Auckland," she said.


Mr van Barneveld said further funding for Waikato regional projects could come later in the year once a Government-commissioned review was completed.

Work would also be advanced on the SH1 Piarere to Oak Tree Bend Realignment from the current funding.

For the Wellington region, the additional funding would enable Transit to start the $78 million SH2 Dowse to Petone Interchange this financial year, rather than in 2006/2007.

Around the country, an extra $10 million would be spent in 2005/06 on 14 additional small and medium-sized projects. These are in Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu/Wanganui, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago.


"This additional funding comes on top of an already record level of investment in state highways for 2005/06 and beyond," Mr van Barneveld said.

- NZPA