Project purpose
The Puhoi to Wellsford road of national significance runs approximately 38km through the Rodney district north of Auckland on State Highway 1. The project aims to improve the state highway network from Puhoi in the south to the north of Wellsford, following on from completion of the Northern Gateway Toll Road in 2009. Existing and anticipated future regional growth will provide opportunities for economic and social development in Northland and the Rodney district.
Benefits
The road of national significance Puhoi to Wellsford has a strategic role looking at connecting Auckland and Northland regions and looking to future regional growth as well as improving the safety of the route and making journey times more reliable.
The objectives for the project are:
- To enhance inter regional and national economic growth and productivity
- To improve movement of freight and people between Auckland and Northland
- To improve the connectivity between the growth areas in the northern Rodney area
- To improve the reliability of the transport network through a more robust and safer road between Auckland and Northland.
Other benefits include reducing congestion during peak periods, and improving economic development and tourism opportunities in Northland.
Features
The project is divided into progressive stages of work.
Route investigation & community consultation
During 2010-11 NZTA will undertake a detailed study of the route. This study will consider the full range of issues associated with building the road from both technical and community viewpoints.
Some areas which will be investigated include:
- Location and form of road improvements
- Social impacts such as noise, air quality and the effect on the local community
- Tangata whenua and the cultural impacts of potential routes
- Property impacts
- Geotechnical and topography considerations
- Ecological impacts
- Affect on historic areas
- Connections to the local roading network
- Walking and cycling access
- Potential construction staging of the work
- Cost of the route
- Constructability
- Opportunities for acceleration of the project including tolling of the routes.
There will be consultation during this phase. This will involve presenting options to people directly affected and talking to the wider community and road users. NZTA will seek feedback to help it assess all the options. This will begin in mid-2010.
Preparing reports for consent
Once NZTA has completed the investigation phase it will have a preferred option for the route. It will then develop detailed reports on the impacts and form of the route. These reports will support the application for designation and resource management consents to build the road.
Consent hearing process
NZTA will then go through a statutory process for designation and resource consent applications. All interested parties will then have the opportunity to provide submissions on the project to the relevant authority and be considered. A decision will be issued to NZTA. Provided the decision is positive, NZTA will then be able to construct the route.
Preliminary design
This stage is when NZTA prepares the design brief based on the designation and consent conditions so that contractors are able to tender for the project.
Detailed design and construction
The final phase is where you will see work out on the road. Detailed engineering plans are drawn up and contractors are able to start work. There may be consideration to stage this work so sections can be opened at different times – these opportunities will be examined during the investigation phase.
Property purchase along the affected route
Working with property owners is a significant process for building a new road. Towards the end of the investigation phase when a preferred route has been identified NZTA will start discussions with property owners in the area.
