$9.17 billion earmarked for NZ roads

The Government will invest $9.17 into New Zealand’s state highway network over the next four years, says Transport Minister Simon Bridges. “This will be the Government’s biggest ever investment in our state highway network and it is a key pillar of the Government’s commitment to building the infrastructure for a growing country,” he says. The investment capital is drawn from a range of investments, including $4.84 million from the National Land Transport Fund, $1 billion in committed Crown funding, $1.43 billion in public-private partnerships and $1.9 billion from the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA). “The Government expects to open 540 new lane kilometres of state highways over the next four years. This will be the largest increase in state highway capacity in decades,” Bridges says. Key projects being progressed over the next four years include:

• The completion of Auckland’s Western Ring Route.

• The Northern and Southern Corridor State Highway 1 improvements in Auckland.

• The East-West Link in Auckland.

• The Huntly and Hamilton sections of the Waikato Expressway.

• The State Highway 1 Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway.

• The Northern Arterial and the Southern Motorway Extension in Christchurch.

• The Transmission Gully and Pūhoi to Warkworth Public Private Partnerships.

• The Whirokino trestle bridge replacement in Manawatu-Whanganui.

• The Mt Messenger-Awakino Gorge corridor in Taranaki.

• The Motu Bridge replacement in Gisborne.

Bridges says funding is concentrated on completing current roads of national significance projects, which link major cities to regions around the country, and also connecting export sectors with key ports to ensure the safer movement of freight. Regional roads will also receive a funding boost.