A Tauranga Northern Link and upgrades for State Highway 2 to Ōmokoroa have been announced as part of a national $12 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme today.
The $12 billion scheme was announced by Transport Minister Phil Twyford, alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other ministers.
It looked to concentrate $6.8 billion on transport infrastructure for the six main growth areas, including the Bay of Plenty.
Alongside a four-lane Tauranga Northern Link and upgrades on State Highway 2, a new roundabout at the intersection of State Highway 1 and State Highway 29 will also be put in place improving the safety of one of New Zealand's most dangerous intersections.
Government makes billion dollar infrastructure announcementGovernment makes billion dollar infrastructure announcement. #FOCUSLIVE
Posted by nzherald.co.nz on Tuesday, 28 January 2020
The Northern Link SH2 upgrades will improve safety on a dangerous stretch of highway and unlock more housing developments in our fastest growing city and important trading port, Transport Minister Phil Twyford said.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said the package for Waikato/Bay of Plenty will be around $991m for those three projects.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said these important projects will speed up travel times, ease congestion and make roads safer.
"Many of these projects have been talked about for a long time, but we are the first Government to fund them."
A number of Western Bay of Plenty transport advocates will be thrilled with the announcement as protests for improvements on State Highway 2 have been ongoing for years.
Local Labour MP's Tamati Coffey, Angie Warren-Clark and Jan Tinetti said collectively that they join the Tauranga community in celebrating the announcement.
"We've walked the talk. Through our advocacy, we are making real progress on sorting out the long-term problems of Tauranga's transport network and making our roads safer for families."
MP Simon Bridges reacts to Government's $12 billion infrastructure packageSimon Bridges reacts to Government's $12 billion infrastructure package. #FOCUSLIVE
Posted by nzherald.co.nz on Tuesday, 28 January 2020
Tauranga MP and Opposition leader Simon Bridges said that after working for two-and-a-half years, National "embarrassed Labour into this".
"The tragedy is they don't believe in this road and won't deliver it."
Bridges said that under a National government, the Tauranga Northern Link had been in commercial tender in the middle of 2018 and ready for construction to begin by October 2018 but "Labour killed it".
"Now it's not [ready] for building for years again."
Bridges said it was a waste of years.
"I don't think they will deliver on it," he said.
"The other thing is we see no detail about what it will be, when it will start. It needs to be four lanes for trucks and cars. We can't wake up to find it's bus lanes and cycleways. That won't get goods to the port or parents to soccer practice."
Twyford said the Government never ruled out the TNL but rather they took it away and re-evaluated it.
Twyford told the Bay of Plenty Times that Bridges' comments staking claim for the project were "sad and pathetic".
"It's almost like he's threatening to take his toys away and play somewhere else because we've committed to funding these roads. National had nine years in Government and they didn't build these roads.
"They've allowed suburban expansion alongside SH2 with out the proper transport infrastructure but they didn't rebuild the road. We are," he said.
Twyford said the road will be better, flanked walkways and cycleways. He said the road was expected to also have a dedicated lane for freight, public transport and high occupancy vehicles.
"That is the intention."