Funding For New Pauatahanui Bridge

Transfund Approves $2.98 Million Funding For New Pauatahanui Bridge
State Highway 58

Transfund has approved a $2.98 million project to construct a new two-lane Pauatahanui Bridge on State Highway 58, between Manor Park and Plimmerton.

The project, to be completed in 2 years, will improve travel times for drivers on a section of highway where there have been significant traffic delays, particularly for drivers crossing the current one-lane Pauatahanui Bridge.

A new bridge, crossing the Pauatahanui Stream, will be built further upstream and a new roundabout intersection will be constructed to connect with the entrance to the Paekakariki Hill Road.

Martin Gummer, Chief Executive of Transfund said, “Transfund, as the national road funding authority, is committed to ensuring value for money from the projects we fund for road users and our assessments have shown that this project is a worthwhile investment.

“State Highway 58 has high traffic flows, with nearly 12,000 drivers using this section of highway every day. The Pauatahanui Bridge reconstruction project will eliminate significant traffic delays that have been experienced by drivers queuing at the bridge while waiting for on-coming traffic. The introduction of a new two-way bridge, and associated realignments, will also improve overall travel times on the highway.”

Funding for the Pauatahanui Bridge project has come from a national budget pool of up to $100 million, set aside for ‘projects in the pipeline’, which may be approved during the year. The Pauatahanui Bridge project has a benefit: cost ratio (BCR) of 4.0. A BCR ranks projects for funding on a national basis before Transfund approves them. Transfund is approving projects with a BCR of 3 and above during the 2000/2001 year.

Transfund has now allocated $64.86 million to the Wellington region for the 2000/2001 year. Significant Wellington projects which have gained funding for SH1 include the construction of four lanes between Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton to improve this section of the highway’s poor crash record (estimated cost: $9,000,000), and the installation of variable message signs in Ngauranga Gorge ($5,000,000).

This year, Transfund has also funded continuing investigations into the Kapiti Urban Roadway project ($3,173,000) and Transmission Gully ($2,145,000) and improvements into intersections on SH2 between Melling and Petone ($2,805,000).

“The Pauatahanui Bridge project is part of a general upgrading of SH58, but will not be part of the eventual connection to the proposed Transmission Gully motorway,” Mr Gummer said.
Ends

For further information, please contact:
Murray Riley Phone: 04 495 3263
National Roading Manager
Transfund New Zealand

Notes:

i. The NRP is the national budget for the construction and maintenance of New Zealand’s road network and the provision of publicly funded passenger transport services. Transfund, a Crown entity, is responsible for investing road user funds to achieve a safe and efficient roading system throughout New Zealand. It provides for Transfund’s and Transit’s administrative costs and contributes to local authorities’ administration costs related to roading and public transport. It also funds research and industry training.

ii. All project costs are total costs (excluding GST) but include Transfund’s allocation and, where applicable, funding by the relevant local authority.

iii. Further detail on the NRP is available on the Transfund website : www.transfund.govt.nz

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