Roads of National Significance

Last updated

Roads of National Significance
System information
Formed20 March 2009 (20 March 2009)
Highway names
State HighwayState Highway X (SH X)
System links

Roads of National Significance (RoNS) was a name given by the Fifth National Government, to a programme to speed up road construction in New Zealand between 2009 and 2017.

RoNS were first announced on 20 March 2009 by Transport Minister, Steven Joyce, saying they were, "singled out as essential routes that require priority treatment". [1] They were described as "routes that are critical to improving economic productivity and growth. . . The focus is on moving people and freight between and within these centres more safely and efficiently". [2] Later in 2009, Prime Minister John Key, announced $11 billion in new State Highway investment over the coming decade, saying National wants to significantly improve our road network and help unclog New Zealand's growth arteries. [3]

Between 2012 and 2015 petrol taxes and road user charges rose 9 cents a litre to pay for RoNS. [4] The proportion of the transport budget for new and improved state highways rose from 23.4% in 2009/2010, to 61.8% in 2011/2012. Funding for other transport, such as repairs and footpaths, fell by 26.1%. In 2013 that led to the Auditor General reporting a risk that prioritising RoNS created pressures on other road maintenance. [5] From 2015 [6] to 2020 average seal age rose from 6.86 to 7.96 years and average remaining seal life dropped from 2.18 to 1.23 years. [7]

Te Rehu O Waikato Bridge being completed in 2014 on the Waikato Expressway Te Rehu O Waikato Bridge.jpg
Te Rehu O Waikato Bridge being completed in 2014 on the Waikato Expressway

The seven RoNS projects were:

The effectiveness of RoNS has been queried, [8] though Christchurch's motorways were largely open by the end of September 2020. [9] Central Wellington sections were never started due to rejection of the Basin Reserve flyover by a Board of Inquiry in 2014, though $12m was spent on design and consenting. [10] RoNS have also been criticised on grounds of safety, economic growth, urban planning, congestion and emissions. [8]

There have also been defects in construction, which have required costly repairs and led to questions over how contracts were awarded. [11]

Some of the RoNS had low cost benefit ratios. [12] In a written answer in 2017, the Minister of Transport, Simon Bridges, said the Warkworth to Wellsford motorway would return a benefit of 25 cents for every dollar spent. [13]

The state of RoNS schemes is set out below –

RoNSroute chosenstartedcompletedcost $mlength km
Puhoi to Warkworth20122016202388018.5
Warkworth to Wellsford20171,90027
Western Ring Route2,40016
Waterview Tunnels201320171,7004.5
Lincoln Rd to Westgate20162019
Victoria Park tunnel200920123400.5
Waikato Expressway2,20084
Longswamp20162019966
Rangiriri201320171315
Huntly2016202045815
Ngāruawāhia20131607
Te Rapa201217210
Hamilton2016202297322
Cambridge201521816
Tauranga Eastern Link2010201545521
Wellington Northern Corridor
Otaki to Levin~2025~20301,50024
Peka Peka to Otaki2017202244513
Mackays to Peka Peka2013201763018
Transmission Gully201420221,25027
Christchurch Motorway
Christchurch Northern Corridor201620212407
Western Belfast Bypass201520171225
Russley Road20152018112
Addington to Prebbleton2010201214010.5
Prebbleton to Rolleston2016202019513

The total cost of RONS projects that are either complete, or under construction, is $9.6 billion, including Auckland's Northern Corridor project. That provides for around 250 kilometres of new or significantly upgraded roads at an average cost of around $35 million per kilometre. [10]

On 29 January 2020 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, announced the Sixth Labour Government's $12 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme. [14] National Party leader, Simon Bridges, claimed the coalition government had just picked up where National left off. [15] The Labour Party claims that, "National’s wish list was never funded, was never part of the Budget, and their projects failed to plan for the future. We’ve taken transport projects that were on NZTA’s plan, and they’ve been improved by including elements such as walking and cycling infrastructure, bus lanes and safety improvements". [16] NZTA give ambiguous messaging. They say that, in developing four-lane corridors, they will investigate opportunities to use two lanes for public transport services, vehicles carrying multiple people, and possibly freight and that all projects will have separate walking and cycling provision, with a focus on getting people out of cars and providing safer, more efficient travel choices, as well as extra vehicle capacity. [17] NZUP includes former RoNS plans (Whangārei to Port Marsden, Tauranga Northern Link, Te Puna to Omokoroa and Otaki to north of Levin), [18] though it also includes $1.6 billion of spending on transport alternatives. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Harbour Bridge</span> Road bridge in Auckland, New Zealand

The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge over the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. It joins St Marys Bay on the Auckland city side with Northcote on the North Shore side. It is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway. The bridge is operated by the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA). It is the second-longest road bridge in New Zealand, and the longest in the North Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Highway 1 (New Zealand)</span> Road in New Zealand

State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the South Island.

Transport in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, is defined by factors that include the shape of the Auckland isthmus, the suburban character of much of the urban area, a history of focusing investment on roading projects rather than public transport, and high car-ownership rates.

O Mahurangi Penlink, is a 7-kilometre-long (4.3-mile), two-lane future state highway. Construction began in late 2022 and is expected to conclude in late 2026. Once completed the new state highway will create a more direct and quicker route between the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and central Auckland in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrace Motorway Tunnel</span> Motorway Tunnel In Wellington, New Zealand

The Terrace Tunnel takes the Wellington Urban Motorway (SH1) under The Terrace in central Wellington, New Zealand. Opened in 1978, it is 460 metres in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Northern Motorway</span> Motorway located in Auckland, New Zealand

The Auckland Northern Motorway in the Auckland Region of New Zealand links Central Auckland and Warkworth in the former Rodney District via the Hibiscus Coast and North Shore. It is part of State Highway 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Southern Motorway</span> Road in New Zealand

The Auckland Southern Motorway is the major route south out of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is part of State Highway 1.

The Transmission Gully Motorway is a 27-kilometre-long (17-mile), four-lane motorway north of Wellington, New Zealand; it is part of the State Highway 1 route. Construction began on 8 September 2014 and completion was originally scheduled for April 2020, but contractual negotiations as well as difficulties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays. The motorway was officially opened on 30 March 2022 and opened to public traffic the following day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterview Connection</span> Road in New Zealand

The Waterview Connection is a motorway section through west/central Auckland, New Zealand. It connects State Highway 20 in the south at Mt Roskill to State Highway 16 in the west at Point Chevalier, and is a part of the Western Ring Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Highway 2 (New Zealand)</span> Road in New Zealand

State Highway 2 runs north–south through eastern parts of the North Island of New Zealand from the outskirts of Auckland to Wellington. It runs through Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings and Masterton. It is the second-longest highway in the North Island, after State Highway 1, which runs the length of both of the country's main islands.

The Waikato Expressway is a dual carriageway section of State Highway 1 in New Zealand's Waikato region. Constructed in stages, it forms part of the link between Auckland and Hamilton. Currently stretching from Auckland to south of Cambridge, the first section of the highway was built in 1993. Throughout its lifetime, it has undergone many upgrades to optimise traffic flow throughout the Waikato region, including various bypasses of many towns in the region, culminating with Hamilton in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Park Tunnel</span> Vehicle tunnel in Auckland, New Zealand

The Victoria Park Tunnel is a motorway tunnel completed in 2012 on New Zealand State Highway 1 in Auckland, New Zealand, taking northbound traffic off the Victoria Park Viaduct, which was converted to all southbound traffic. It lies mostly under Victoria Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Harbour Crossing, Auckland</span>

The Second Harbour Crossing is the name given to the proposed second transport link across the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. Planners have also referred to new links across the harbour as the Additional Waitematā Harbour Crossing (AWHC) or the Waitematā Harbour Connections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Cycleway</span> Cycle route in Auckland, New Zealand

The Northwestern Cycleway, sometimes also referred to as the North West or Northwestern Cycle Route, is a 12 km mostly off-road cycle route in New Zealand that connects the Auckland CBD with the suburb of Westgate. For most of its length, it runs alongside the Northwestern Motorway.

The Western Belfast Bypass is an approximately five-kilometre-long (3.1 mi), four lane, grade separated motorway recently built to bypass the northern Christchurch suburb of Belfast, New Zealand. It is estimated that its construction will result in 17,000 fewer vehicles using Main North Road through Belfast, and shorten travel times between the north and west of Christchurch. In addition, the motorway will allow for improved public transport, cycling, and pedestrian options on Main North Road. It is expected that 21,500 vehicles per day will use the WBB motorway by 2026. The speed limit along the route is 100 km/h.

The Western Corridor is a road in Christchurch, New Zealand which connects the suburb of Belfast, New Zealand, in the north to Hornby in the south and connects the Canterbury region to Christchurch Airport. Most of the traffic on the corridor heads to the city, the airport, Belfast or Hornby, while 15% of traffic travels further north or south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterview Tunnel</span> Road tunnel in Auckland, New Zealand

The Waterview Tunnel is a twin road tunnel in central Auckland, New Zealand. At 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) long, it is New Zealand's longest road tunnel. The tunnel, with three lanes of road vehicle traffic in each direction, connects State Highway 20 in the south at Mount Roskill to State Highway 16 in the west at Point Chevalier as part of the Waterview Connection. Its opening completed the Western Ring Route motorway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Zealand Upgrade Programme</span>

On 29 January 2020, the New Zealand Upgrade Programme was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. The programme is a $12 billion infrastructure package to improve roads, rail, hospitals and schools around the country, of which $8 billion has been allocated and the other $4 billion is part of the infrastructure section of the 2020 budget.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Coast Discovery Highway</span> New Zealand scenic highway

The Twin Coast Discovery Highway is an 800-kilometre (500 mi) circular road route of Northland, a region located in New Zealand. Most of the route travels on part of State Highway 1 (SH 1), the longest and major road in New Zealand, but some parts spur off onto other roads. It is commonly used as a tourist route, most of the time to visit Cape Reinga. The name "Twin Coast Discovery" is so named because the route up to and back from Cape Reinga are on different coasts.

References

  1. 1 2 "First Roads of National Significance identified". The Beehive. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. ↑ "GOVERNMENT POLICY STATEMENT ON LAND TRANSPORT FUNDING 2012/13–2021/22" (PDF). July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Key Notes – Happy Christmas". www.scoop.co.nz. 18 December 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  4. ↑ "Govt to hike petrol taxes and road user charges 9 cents over three years to pay for 'roads of national significance'". interest.co.nz. 18 December 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  5. ↑ Muhammad Imran, Christine Cheyne & John Harold (2014). "Measuring Transport Resilience – A Manawatu-Wanganui Region Case Study" (PDF). Massey University Research Online.
  6. ↑ "National pavement conditions report 2015".
  7. ↑ "National pavement condition report 2020".
  8. 1 2 "Roads of National Significance – a success? A retrospective". TraNZport. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  9. ↑ "Southbound lanes opening – second stage this weekend". createsend.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  10. 1 2 "RONS Review Part 2". Greater Auckland. 24 May 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Highway costing $70 million per km set to get even more expensive due to pumice". RNZ. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "National wastes $1.5 billion on low value motorways". www.scoop.co.nz. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Cost of Warkworth to Wellsford motorway could double". RNZ. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  14. ↑ "The New Zealand Upgrade Programme". The Beehive. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  15. ↑ "Govt's $12b infrastructure spend: Rail, roads and DHBs the big winners". RNZ. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  16. ↑ "FAQ: Everything you need to know about the Big New Zealand Upgrade". NZ Labour Party. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Frequently asked questions | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency". www.nzta.govt.nz. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "Penlink, the Tauranga Northern Link, Otaki to Levin, Mill Road and the Skypath among transport projects to get government funding". interest.co.nz. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "Julie Anne Genter: Why the 'New Zealand Upgrade' falls short". The Spinoff. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.