Two more roundabout projects were symbolically launched in the Mid North on Tuesday, and Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones vowed that there would be no repeat of the delays that have plagued the Waipapa project.
Along with iwi and NZ Transport Agency representatives, Jones turned the first sods on roundabouts at Puketona Junction, where SH10 and SH11 meet, and at the SH1 and SH11 junction at Kawakawa. They are the first regional projects in the $12 billion New Zealand Upgrade Programme announced earlier this year.
Jones said the NZTA had begun preparatory work on the Puketona roundabout long ago, but had been starved of pūtea (money) for year, NZTA board member also promising that there would be delays.
"This project (Puketona) was 25 years in the making. The next one (at Kawakawa) will be 25 months in the making. That's how we're going to operate from now on," he said.
NZTA regional relationships manager Steve Mutton said queues and delays at Puketona Junction led motorists to take risks, with sometimes tragic consequences. The new single-lane roundabout would improve safety, reduce delays, reflect the area's rich cultural heritage and improve visitor experiences. It was due to be completed in March 2021.