Media statement | 28 June 2006

Upgrading routes Land Transport NZ’s focus for Auckland

Upgrading and completing important transport routes is the focus for Auckland in the 2006/07 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).

Land Transport NZ today announced $2.3 billion in transport spending for New Zealand in 2006/07, including nearly $559 million for investment in Auckland’s land transport network, including:

• $138 million for maintenance of state highways and local roads
• $260 million for construction of state highways and local roads
• $147 million for improvements to passenger transport infrastructure and services to increase patronage on bus, rail and ferry services
• $2 million for programmes and facilities that encourage travel behaviour change and promote walking and cycling.

In addition to the funding highlighted above, Land Transport NZ expects to allocate Crown funding of $50 million in 2006/07 for passenger transport projects.

Land Transport NZ chair Dr Jan Wright says the agency and its partners are committed to making Auckland’s major routes more efficient, managing the capacity on Auckland’s road networks and making passenger transport more attractive as an alternative to using the car.

Funding has been committed for the continuation of major projects, including:

• The SH 1 ALPURT B2 extension from Orewa to Puhoi to provide an efficient and safe corridor for traffic
• The Northern Busway and Esmonde Road Interchange to improve passenger transport services between North Shore and Auckland
• The Mt Roskill extension of SH 20 on the Western Ring Route to ease traffic congestion
• The Manukau motorway link between SH 20 and SH 1 on the Western Ring Route to ease congestion
• The Greenhithe motorway deviation on SH 17 on the Western Ring Route to ease congestion
• The Waiouru connection involving arterial roading and a motorway interchange, constructed jointly by Transit and Manukau City
• The Greenlane interchange upgrade including widening of Greenlane Road and the Greenlane/Great South intersection by Transit NZ and Auckland City.

Other projects that may be funded include:

• Construction of Mt Wellington Quarry Link Road in Auckland city, connecting the Panmure AMETI route to a new housing development
• Improvements to Neilson Street in Auckland city to increase capacity
• Upgrade of the Albany Highway Corridor in North Shore city to ease congestion and encourage multi-modal transport
• Widening of Hingaia Road in Papakura district from Parerakau Road to the SH 1 southern motorway to accommodate traffic volumes expected from Hingaia population centre development
• the development of the Central Transit Corridor, which upgrades passenger transport facilities and, in some areas, provides dedicated bus routes from Auckland city centre to Newmarket
• Investigation and design work on the Victoria Park tunnel to provide capacity for traffic crossing Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Funding for NZ Police land transport activities in the Auckland region totals $57 million. The road safety goal for the Auckland region is that by 2010 fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 1,640 per year. There were 2,847 fatalities and hospitalisations due to road crashes in 2005. Dr Wright says the activities funded through the NLTP reflect Land Transport NZ’s objective of contributing to an integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system.

“New Zealand faces huge transport challenges. The $2.3 billion allocated by this year’s NLTP will help us meet those challenges.”

Regional newsletters, a fact sheet and the NLTP book, which details all projects in the 2006/07 NLTP, will be available at www.landtransport.govt.nz from 6pm today.

For further information:

Andy Knackstedt
Land Transport NZ Media Manager
(04) 931-8822 or 0212 763 222

Peter Kippenberger
Partnership Manager, Northern
(09) 969 9812
021 913 882