Construction on first Road of National Significance begins

Construction on the first of seven initial Roads of National Significance is underway, with physical works beginning today on the Victoria Park project in Auckland - more than a year earlier than originally planned.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce, who attended an event to mark the start of construction, says this is a significant step towards the completion of Auckland's roading network.

"Victoria Park was identified as a road of national significance in March because it is a key bottleneck on State Highway 1 and is of great importance to the Auckland economy."

This project will unlock the benefits of surrounding motorway improvements by increasing capacity from 2-lanes in each direction to 3-lanes northbound (in a new tunnel) and 4-lanes southbound (on the existing Victoria Park Viaduct).

Mr Joyce said this will greatly ease congestion for the 160,000 plus vehicles that use this route each day.

"Victoria Park is one of the first projects to benefit from the Government's decision to increase funding for state highway construction by $1 billion over the next three years," said Mr Joyce

"Without extra funding this project may never have got off the ground, and neither would the jobs and economic benefits it will bring."

At its peak, the project is expected to employ 450 people - 350 directly onsite and a further 100 downstream.

Mr Joyce says that over the next three years there will be significant construction on five of the seven of these vital routes, with all seven to be substantially advanced within ten years.

Within three years:

Victoria Park - project complete.
Western Ring Route completion - construction started on the first stage of Waterview and the Lincoln Rd interchange.
Waikato Expressway - work on the Te Rapa bypass underway this year and construction on the Rangiriri and Ngaruawahia sections within 3 years.
Tauranga Eastern Motorway - construction started on the Tauranga Eastern Link (if tolling is approved).
Christchurch Southern Motorway - construction.

Design work continues on the Levin to Wellington corridor as does development work on the Puhoi to Wellsford section of State Highway 1.

Mr Joyce says the Roads of National Significance are being developed alongside key regional roads and public transport services, and they will help secure a step-change in economic growth for New Zealand.