Motorway route contract "the first step"

A contract to investigate the $1.4 billion four-lane Puhoi-Wellsford motorway route has been awarded to Sinclair Knight Mertz, a specialist in engineering and environmental issues.

"This is the first big step in the process to secure the alignment for the new road," Transport Minister Steven Joyce says.

"The next step is to consult with the community about the preferences for the road. This will begin in a few months."

The investigation starts a process to obtain and protect land for the planned highway, and to apply for the necessary resource consents to construct it, New Zealand Transport Agency Auckland-Northland acting regional director Tommy Parker says.

"A key part of the investigation work will be looking for opportunities that enable us to deliver this important piece of infrastructure as quickly as possible.

"The new highway is going to be built through some difficult and challenging countryside, and a lot of information and data is needed before we can decide on the best options."

The corridor is about 38 kilometres long and will include bypasses at Warkworth and Wellsford. The Puhoi-to-Wellsford section is expected to be substantially completed within 10 years.

Mr Joyce says: "The Government's $10.7 billion commitment to state highway funding over the 10-year period means that funding is not the big issue for this project, but the reality is design, consultation and consenting processes all take time."

He says the Puhoi-to-Wellsford corridor has been identified as one of our most essential state highway routes to reduce congestion, improve safety and support economic growth in the Auckland and Northland regions.

The investigation work by Sinclair Knight Mertz will look at a wide range of aspects. These include road location and form, social impacts such as noise, air quality and effects on the local community, tangata whenua and the cultural impacts of potential routes, property impacts, geotechnical and topography considerations.

- © Fairfax NZ News