Transmission Gully opening could be pushed back to 2023 - Road Transport Forum boss
Monday, 13 July 2020
As traffic north of Wellington hits Christmas levels of congestion, suggestions have emerged that the Transmission Gully opening date might actually be three years away.
The NZ Transport Agency announced on Monday that negotiations to resolve the timing and funding of Transmission Gully were extended by another four weeks.
NZTA, which advanced $5m to the builders to cover the period, says it is simply taking a “considered approach” to spending taxpayers’ money. It says it cannot comment on opening dates till negotiations are complete.
Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett said the country needed clarity around who was constructing the road, and when it would be opened.
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“We’re hearing 2023 everywhere - that’s a three-year delay.”
The negotiations were more like a “divorce negotiation” at the moment, he said.
Meanwhile, the Automobile Association infrastructure principal advisor Barney Irvine said they were getting reports of “really high levels” of congestion on the Kāpiti Coast.
“The kind of congestion you’d usually only see at long weekends and the Christmas period.”
The problem was probably down to more people taking domestic holidays and driving to get there, he said.
As reported by Stuff, traffic on SH1 north of Wellington struck massive delays on the weekend, following several crashes.
Reports on social media and directly from travellers revealed long tailbacks north and south, both days of the weekend.
The Agency said the $5m would pay for the four-week extension and was on top of $14m agreed to in May.
Agency transport services general manager Brett Gliddon said people were keen to know when the road will be finished, “and we are committed to seeing it open at the earliest possible date”.
“The extension of the winter works programme while negotiations continue will help minimise further delays.”
Work started in 2015 on the fourlane, 27 kilometre road connecting Linden to Mckay's Crossing. It was meant to be completed in April, then May, then November. In May the Agency stated it expected the road would be completed sometime “well into” 2021.
Gliddon said the Agency must take a “considered approach” to making any decisions that involve tax payer money.
“And that is why an agreement on the new opening date and associated costs is taking time.”
The negotiations are taking place between the Agency, the consortium contracted to build and maintain the road The Wellington Gateway Partnership, and its builders, CPB-HEB.
“We understand the public interest in Transmission Gully, and we will announce the new agreed completion date and further information when negotiations are complete,” Gliddon said.
The negotiations come after the covid-19 lockdown halted work during prime summer weather.
Porirua mayor Anita Baker said she was frustrated there was still no completion date.
“Obviously we're hearing so many different dates, all the way out to 2023. I’m pleased they’ve released some more money, hopefully that will get some more action on the ground.”
Kāpiti Coast mayor K Gurunathan said it was good news that work was continuing on sorting the contract “quagmire”.
‘It is quite good, given the problems, that they are continuing to work at it…rather than compete silence, we actually have got a press release.””
Transmission Gully, a public private partnership, originally cost $850 million, but that jumped to a billion after wrangling with the builders.
Asked by Stuff about the potential 2023 date, funding and use of additional contractors, the Agency said it would release information as soon as it was able.