A few days ago I caught the end of Steven Joyce's end-of-christmas announcement about his holiday-highway pet project, and picked up the words to the effect that: "construction might start in 5 years..."
My immediate reaction was: "he's kicked it for touch - about time too..."
For the year this project has been top of his list of projects of national importance (and bottom of many regionally determined transport project priority lists). I have wondered about its function as a straw man. You know: put up a project that will attract widespread criticism to distract attention from what you really want to get done. The Waterview section of SH20 for example. Have you noticed how the media attention on that project has faded to a dull roar (Mt Albert by-election excepted, and local opposition)?
I well recall getting grumpy with a senior figure in NZTA about the Holiday Highway project when it first got onto Joyce's list of transport projects of National Importance. The official came straight back at me: "Joel. What is this project? Give me its specification. Is it a new piece of State Highway all the way to Wellsford? Is it sections of by-pass? Does it follow the alignment of the current SH1? Is it tolled...."
His questions were interesting. Of course NZTA had no idea what the Minister wanted. It was just a germ of an idea that came to him as he stood there cutting the ribbon on the Orewa to Puhoi section. A rush of blood to the head.
NZTA need to know what is being talked about, before it can be planned. Unlike most other bits of SH that get built, and which have been on the planning books for decades (typically), with designations in place and stuff, this one was a new Minister's bright idea.
At one end of the scale, all we might be talking about building is a short extension of SH1 double-laning North of Puhoi, so the tunnel section of the new motorway can be two-laned all the way through. The traffic queue caused by 2 lanes going to 1, could then happen on the North side of the existing tunnel. Or we could be talking about a by-pass of the Warkworth by-pass. (Apparently 85% of the traffic loading on SH1 north bound, has turned off SH1 by Warkworth.) But it might be tricky to build that by-pass of the by-pass, because Rodney District Council has allowed a whole lot of industrial/big box development to occur just West of the current Warkworth by-pass, which does not leave a whole lot of room for another by-pass....
Anyway, I thought I should write a bit about this, as it's on the ARC's Transport Ctte agenda for next week. Nothing much in the report though. So I went to Google for an update. For some more information. You won't do better than check out Jarbury's blog and updates and comments about this. Full of useful maps and thoughts and ideas....
Have a look at: http://transportblog.co.nz/tag/puhoi-wellsford-motorway/
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Puhoi to Wellsford Holiday Highway update
A few days ago I caught the end of Steven Joyce's end-of-christmas announcement about his holiday-highway pet project, and picked up the words to the effect that: "construction might start in 5 years..."
My immediate reaction was: "he's kicked it for touch - about time too..."
For the year this project has been top of his list of projects of national importance (and bottom of many regionally determined transport project priority lists). I have wondered about its function as a straw man. You know: put up a project that will attract widespread criticism to distract attention from what you really want to get done. The Waterview section of SH20 for example. Have you noticed how the media attention on that project has faded to a dull roar (Mt Albert by-election excepted, and local opposition)?
I well recall getting grumpy with a senior figure in NZTA about the Holiday Highway project when it first got onto Joyce's list of transport projects of National Importance. The official came straight back at me: "Joel. What is this project? Give me its specification. Is it a new piece of State Highway all the way to Wellsford? Is it sections of by-pass? Does it follow the alignment of the current SH1? Is it tolled...."
His questions were interesting. Of course NZTA had no idea what the Minister wanted. It was just a germ of an idea that came to him as he stood there cutting the ribbon on the Orewa to Puhoi section. A rush of blood to the head.
NZTA need to know what is being talked about, before it can be planned. Unlike most other bits of SH that get built, and which have been on the planning books for decades (typically), with designations in place and stuff, this one was a new Minister's bright idea.
At one end of the scale, all we might be talking about building is a short extension of SH1 double-laning North of Puhoi, so the tunnel section of the new motorway can be two-laned all the way through. The traffic queue caused by 2 lanes going to 1, could then happen on the North side of the existing tunnel. Or we could be talking about a by-pass of the Warkworth by-pass. (Apparently 85% of the traffic loading on SH1 north bound, has turned off SH1 by Warkworth.) But it might be tricky to build that by-pass of the by-pass, because Rodney District Council has allowed a whole lot of industrial/big box development to occur just West of the current Warkworth by-pass, which does not leave a whole lot of room for another by-pass....
Anyway, I thought I should write a bit about this, as it's on the ARC's Transport Ctte agenda for next week. Nothing much in the report though. So I went to Google for an update. For some more information. You won't do better than check out Jarbury's blog and updates and comments about this. Full of useful maps and thoughts and ideas....
Have a look at: http://transportblog.co.nz/tag/puhoi-wellsford-motorway/
My immediate reaction was: "he's kicked it for touch - about time too..."
For the year this project has been top of his list of projects of national importance (and bottom of many regionally determined transport project priority lists). I have wondered about its function as a straw man. You know: put up a project that will attract widespread criticism to distract attention from what you really want to get done. The Waterview section of SH20 for example. Have you noticed how the media attention on that project has faded to a dull roar (Mt Albert by-election excepted, and local opposition)?
I well recall getting grumpy with a senior figure in NZTA about the Holiday Highway project when it first got onto Joyce's list of transport projects of National Importance. The official came straight back at me: "Joel. What is this project? Give me its specification. Is it a new piece of State Highway all the way to Wellsford? Is it sections of by-pass? Does it follow the alignment of the current SH1? Is it tolled...."
His questions were interesting. Of course NZTA had no idea what the Minister wanted. It was just a germ of an idea that came to him as he stood there cutting the ribbon on the Orewa to Puhoi section. A rush of blood to the head.
NZTA need to know what is being talked about, before it can be planned. Unlike most other bits of SH that get built, and which have been on the planning books for decades (typically), with designations in place and stuff, this one was a new Minister's bright idea.
At one end of the scale, all we might be talking about building is a short extension of SH1 double-laning North of Puhoi, so the tunnel section of the new motorway can be two-laned all the way through. The traffic queue caused by 2 lanes going to 1, could then happen on the North side of the existing tunnel. Or we could be talking about a by-pass of the Warkworth by-pass. (Apparently 85% of the traffic loading on SH1 north bound, has turned off SH1 by Warkworth.) But it might be tricky to build that by-pass of the by-pass, because Rodney District Council has allowed a whole lot of industrial/big box development to occur just West of the current Warkworth by-pass, which does not leave a whole lot of room for another by-pass....
Anyway, I thought I should write a bit about this, as it's on the ARC's Transport Ctte agenda for next week. Nothing much in the report though. So I went to Google for an update. For some more information. You won't do better than check out Jarbury's blog and updates and comments about this. Full of useful maps and thoughts and ideas....
Have a look at: http://transportblog.co.nz/tag/puhoi-wellsford-motorway/
Labels:
Holiday Highway,
Puhoi to Wellsford,
Steven Joyce,
Warkworth
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