New road will shorten trip to Hamilton and remove dangerous intersection

One of the most dangerous intersections for motorists travelling to Hamilton from Tauranga is to be eliminated by the announcement of a new $100 million expressway bypassing Lake Karapiro.

The bypass will connect up with State Highway 29 on the Tauranga side of Piarere Hall, about 2km from the notorious T-intersection of SH29 and SH1 - the scene of many fatal and serious crashes over the years.

Transport Minister and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said the four-lane expressway would connect into the new Waikato Expressway that bypassed Cambridge, meaning that when it was built within about 10 years, Tauranga people heading to Hamilton would be able to travel on a motorway all the way from SH29.

The expressway would shave 1.5km, or at least a minute, off the already much reduced travel time from Tauranga to Hamilton since the Cambridge bypass was completed last year. This did not include the sometimes long waiting times at the T-intersection.

Mr Bridges said the preferred route through farmland behind the hills running alongside the current highway had been selected from a shortlist of five options and scored highly in terms of travel time and safety. It matched building the expressway along the current highway in terms of complexity and cost.

"It will give the community certainty and a sense of confidence . . . it will be quicker and more reliable. Fundamentally, it is a more attractive route."

Eventually truckies and the travelling public would be able to travel from SH29 all the way to Auckland on an expressway, once the Hamilton and Huntly sections were completed. Travel time from Auckland to Tirau would be reduced by 25 minutes.

Mr Bridges said the transport corridor between Auckland and the Port of Tauranga was the most important in New Zealand. It formed part of the golden triangle linking Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga.

"It is a vital element for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty's economy."

He said there was still a lot of investigations to go before construction began on the 13km to 14km road. Although he could not put a date on when construction would begin, he expected it would be built within 10 years. A decision on timing would be made later this year.

In the meantime, a decision on SH29's route through Tauriko was expected later this year and an announcement on improvements to the road across the Kaimai Range was about a year away, he said.

Questioned on the prospects of building a road tunnel under the Kaimais, he said he could understand the enthusiasm for a tunnel but it would cost billions.

Road Transport Association president for the upper North Island Ian Wilson said they had been involved in selecting the route. It would be more fuel efficient and safer for the heaviest of heavy vehicles.

He said it was important that work had started by the time the Huntly and Hamilton sections of the Waikato Expressway were finished because otherwise 150km of expressway would come to a sudden halt at Karapiro before the important SH29 split to Tauranga.

Mr Wilson said there would always be trucks that opted to use SH2 via Katikati or SH27 via Matamata for particular reasons but the SH29/SH1 route would by far become the preferred route between Auckland and the Port of Tauranga.

"There will always be some that stick to the shortest route not matter what."

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stan Gregec welcomed the announcement, saying it was all part of supporting the engine of growth in the upper North Island.

"Anything that bolsters the transport route between the three main centres has to be good news."

He said a road tunnel under the Kaimai Range was a tantalising thought for the distant future.

Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns said it was "fantastic news" while Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless said anything that made travelling a bit easier had to be good.

Mr Brownless said it was a pity that the 10-year estimate to get it built could be not shortened.

"If it is deemed necessary, why go through such a long process . . . anything
that improves travel time is good."

Advantages of planned expressway

- Reduce crash risk by 70 per cent

- Reduce travel distance from Tauranga by 1.5km

- Open up recreation opportunities along Lake Karapiro