Media statement | 28 June 2006

Safe and efficient roads Land Transport NZ’s focus for Waikato

Safe and efficient roads to withstand high traffic growth are the focus for the Waikato 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 $135 million for investment in Waikato’s land transport network, including:

• $96 million for maintenance of state highways and local roads
• $31 million for construction of state highways and local roads
• $5 million for the development and improvements to passenger transport services in Hamilton.

Land Transport NZ chair Dr Jan Wright says the agency and its partners are committed to making Waikato’s major routes safer and more efficient, and making passenger transport more attractive as an alternative to using the car. Funding has been committed for the continuation of major projects, including:

• Construction of the Mercer to Long Swamp expressway on SH 1, which will improve safety and reduce travel time on this stretch of highway. The project is expected to be opened to the public shortly but final completion work will continue for a few months
• Construction of the Mangatawhiri deviation on SH 2 to improve safety.

Projects which may be funded during the year include:

• The four laning of Church Road to Avalon Drive in Hamilton to improve traffic flow
• Construction of the Avalon Drive bypass to relieve congestion on Avalon Drive between Rotokauri and Norton roads in Hamilton
• Design work on the Ngaruawahia bypass and the Cambridge bypass to relieve congestion and improve safety.

Funding for NZ Police land transport activities in the Waikato region totals $23 million. The road safety goal for the Waikato region is that by 2010 fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 570 per year. There were 844 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 more information:

Andy Knackstedt
Land Transport NZ Media Manager
(04) 931 8822
021 276 3222

Rosalie Orr
Partnership Manager, Midland
(07) 958 7840
0274 523 230