Manawatu Standard

NZTA to consult on tolling plan for highway

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will seek public feedback this month on a proposal to toll Te Ahu a Turanga, the new 11.5km highway between Manawatū and Tararua.

Public consultati­on on the proposed tolling scheme will begin on Monday, September 9, and run until October 7.

Proposals to toll two other new North Island state highways – the Takitimu North Link and Ōtaki to north of Levin – will also be open to consultati­on during this period.

The transport agency’s group general manager for transport services, Brett Gliddon, said assessment­s by the agency showed tolling was feasible for the three highways.

“Consultati­on material will include details on the potential toll rates for light and heavy vehicles for each of the new roads as well as expected travel time savings for drivers and freight vehicles.”

Public submission­s would provide “insights into the level of community support for the proposed tolling schemes in each region”.

The final decision on whether to toll each road would rest with the Cabinet on the recommenda­tion of the minister of transport, he said.

“The National Land Transport fund is under increasing pressure to fund transport improvemen­ts and increasing road maintenanc­e costs across the country,” Gliddon said.

“Tolling provides an opportunit­y for an additional source of revenue to support major infrastruc­ture projects, bringing efficiency, safety and resiliency benefits to the transport network.”

Constructi­on on Te Ahu a Turanga, which will replace the old Manawatū Gorge road, began in December 2020 with a ceremony at the project’s Woodville end.

The project, a 100kph, four-lane divided highway built over the Ruahine Range, is due to be completed in mid 2025.

It is intended to provide a safe, resilient and efficient route between Woodville and Ashhurst.

Gliddon said the transport agency assessed all new state highways and significan­t upgrades to existing highways for tolling suitabilit­y.

Tolling would play a key role in the delivery of the Government’s Roads of National Significan­ce, as part of a wider package of transport revenue and investment tools, he said.

“Revenue from tolling must be used for costs associated with the new road from which it is collected.

“Revenue can be used for activities associated with the planning, design, constructi­on, operations, or maintenanc­e of the road, and may include repayment of loans for building the road.”