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Four-lane highway still top priority North transport committee chair says
The four-lane highway between Wellsford and Whangarei is still a top priority, according to Northland Regional Land Transport Committee chair Councillor Rick Stolwerk.
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he Government withdrew funding for the project in June to the shock and dismay of Northland civic and business leaders. Instead the funding is to be used mainly for a rail link between Whangarei and Northport at Marsden Point and for safety improvements on the existing State Highway network. Stolwerk said the Regional Land Transport Plan for Northland 2021-2027 still has the four-lane highway at the top of the priority list. Construction of the $792 million fourlane corridor was set to start in late 2023 and finish by 2028. “It’s not abandoned. We haven’t given up on it. “It will happen in time but it’s just not going to be done in the next few years,’’ he said.
The Regional Land Transport Plan is, in effect, a programme of works, through which Northland Regional Council, Far North District Council, Whangārei District Council, Kaipara District Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency jointly bid for funding assistance from the National Land Transport Fund. This month the Waka Kotahi Transport Agency released its latest funding allocation. This is part of a $24.3 billion programme of investment in New Zealand’s land transport system. Northland’s share of $751 million is to be used on projects over the next three years. Instead of the four-lane highway, the funding is to be used on median barriers and safety improvements in key locations as well as reviewing speed limits between Whangarei and Wellsford. Stolwerk said his committee welcomed the funding, despite the disappointment of the four-lane highway project being shelved. “It is pleasing that we now have the security to press forward with our aim to deliver the best possible transport benefits for people and our communities following the confirmation of a $751
million investment in the Northland region through the NLTP for the next three years. “Unfortunately not everyone can get what they want and a number of initiatives from the NLTP priority list were either moved down or left off altogether. “We are still committed to the four-lane highway and the Road to Zero vision – New Zealand’s road safety strategy,’’ he said. A well-maintained land transport system is critical to ensuring people can travel safely on our roads, regardless of where they live in the region. “We welcome the increased spending on the maintenance and operation of local roads and state highways of up to $344m which will allow us to immediately address concerns raised by our road users and provide safer, more seamless travel.” Maintenance funding is also vital for Northland’s economic growth, ensuring our forestry, farming, horticulture and tourism sectors are able to connect with local and export markets, he said. “We are also pleased that $103 million will be spent to directly improve safety across a number of our local roads and state
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highways and address Northland’s poor road safety record which for too long has been among the worst in the country.” He said roading costs for Northland were always substantially more than other regions because of the unstable soil structure, known as Onerahi Chaos. “The cost of building roads here is 30 to 50 percent higher than other regions. “Also our roads are narrow, so we welcome the installation of side barriers and median strips to keep cars further apart. “People were sceptical about the yellow barrier sticks between Oakleigh and Whangarei, but since they were installed we haven’t had any fatal accidents so having a visual barrier does make a difference.’’ Stolwerk said Northland’s population is growing more than any other region. “We need a resilient and reliable transport network to support our people to live and work. The NLTP provides us with a blueprint of where we can go and we will continue to work together with our partners, including Waka Kotahi, to create a better fit-for-purpose integrated transport system that the region can afford.’
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