By ROSALEEN MACBRAYNE
Tauranga District Council is challenging a Transit New Zealand decision not to give state highway status to the city's harbour bridge.
It has asked for an urgent independent review. Failing that, the council will consider legal action.
Transit chief executive Robin Dunlop had no comment yesterday. He said the matter would be discussed at a board meeting today.
The roading authority last month designated approach roads to the Port of Tauranga part of its highway network but ruled the bridge linking Tauranga and Mt Maunganui was a local road.
By ending the state highway on either side of the harbour bridge, Transit has effectively denied Tauranga state funding for a duplicate bridge.
On the drawing board is a $140 million Harbour Link upgrade to help ease serious traffic congestion.
The new state highway designation, to come into effect next year, means the planned $80m flyover section of the link from the end of Takitimu Drive to the new bridge - with an off-ramp for container port traffic - qualifies for Government money.
But the council would be left to pay for the $60m second bridge, probably at least partly from tolls.
District council chief executive Stephen Town if the Transit Authority did not recognise it had "erred in its process" the council could seek a judicial review.
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