Read the full story: Mount Maunganui’s new State Highway 2 Bayfair flyover opening this month in Bay Link ‘major milestone’
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Given how long this has taken, I despair of the timeframes to repair the terrible damage from Cyclone Gabrielle to roads elsewhere in the country.
On another note it galls me that of three tolled roads in NZ, two are in the Tauranga area. No tolls on Transmission Gully, the new Puhoi road or Cambridge express. — Derek N
In reply to Derek N: Simple Derek. Your elected leaders and community spokespersons at the time of the business case argued for toll roads. Their argument was that it was good for the wider community. Your toll roads weren’t designated as “roads of national importance”. So to have them, you were committed to toll roads by your community leaders. — Thomas M
Many countries took six months to complete similar projects for a much lower cost. It would be very beneficial if our planners and engineers can learn from their overseas counterparts (mainly from their engineering capabilities not political perspectives), otherwise we are going down the same old same way of building overpriced infrastructure that costs many times more and taking longer to build than they should. — Albert C
In reply to Albert C: I’m guessing you mean China.
It’s unbelievable how quickly they build roads and bridges, build really stylish and modern as well.
They do double shifts and just get on with the job. The new Puhoi to Warkworth road is an ongoing disgrace — miles over budget and two years late and traffic on State Highway 1 is still having to slow to 30km/h.
For goodness’ sake, the Government should just open the thing or be honest about why not. — Mike H
If you want evidence that the squeaky wheel gets the most oil, this is it.
Every government for the past 50 years has ignored the appalling road network in Northland and the Coromandel, East Cape, and trolled millions and millions into these so-called economic powerhouses of Auckland and Tauranga.
Further proof that residents, tourists and ordinary people don’t matter.
That man-sized rail networks don’t matter as long as bigger trucks and denser traffic volumes get to prevail.
Blind Freddy could tell you that getting the lives of people sorted out will do wonders for the environment, our children, jobs and equitable wealth generation.
It would make changes in how rural and distant public hospitals worked and how people were shifted between them and base hospitals.
Well it should do. Might be a bit of a long bow to draw knowing how health professionals think. Supply chains shorter and logistics resilient. A flyover! Innovation? — No! — Thomas M
I assume, given that Waka Kohati and councils have been involved, that there will be a 24-hour bus lane, a cycle lane in each direction, speed calming measures with traffic lights every 200m, and 30 km/h speed limits imposed?
Every other traditional measure of Waka Kohati has been achieved …. Hopelessly late, over budget, over-engineered and a visual eyesore!
Nice one!
Now, on with the roads of national significance and the Auckland Harbour tunnel (Due date 2150!).
(P.S. 38,000 per day! What the heck?) — Roger H
Wow, Tauranga gets a 1.6km multi-use road to be used by 38,000 people a day (approx 8000 vehicle or 10,000 people per peak-hour capacity) for $262 million.
Auckland gets (eventually) a 3.5km City Rail Link that can (initially) carry 27,000 people an hour for $5,493 million. I’ll leave those who understand maths to work out the cost benefit for each project. - Scott R
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