Toll roads - pay as you drive

A law change has opened the way for toll roads jointly built by the Government and the private sector. CATHY ARONSON explains how the system will work and where the first ones are likely to be.

Orewa to Puhoi

Where: The last section of the unfinished Northern Motorway extension. The first section from Albany to Orewa opened in 1999.

Length: 6km.

Traffic problems: Bottlenecks at Orewa and a dangerous, winding section of State Highway 1 - most noticeable at holiday weekends. Daily traffic on the Albany-Orewa motorway has grown by nearly 3000 vehicles, prompting the Land Transport Safety Authority to consider dropping SH1 speed limit to 80km/h.

Trucks are not allowed on link road through Orewa to the motorway and must drive through Silverdale. Rodney District Council says these delays will cost the economy $400 million in next five years.

All motorway traffic could be blocked from the residential link road in December next year, a deadline set by the Environment Court.

Cost: $158 million.

Funding problem: Was due to be built by the end of next year but was stalled in 2000 by Environment Court challenges. This year the Auckland Regional Council put the project at bottom of a 10-year roading priority list, opting to fix Auckland's motorways first to relieve congestion.

Prospect of toll road: High. Both Transit and Transport Minister Paul Swain have highlighted the road. Transit has nearly finished its Environment Court appeals.

Both have met Rodney District Council Mayor John Law, who presented a 4600-signature petition supporting the road.

Likely toll: Unknown.

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Eastern Highway

Where: Eastern Highway. Six-lane highway-busway from city through eastern suburbs to Manukau.

Length: 27km.

Cost: $460 million.

Funding problems: An Auckland and Manukau City Council-led project with no Transit backing, because the route is not a state highway.

Prospect of toll road: Medium-low. Financial advisers have told the councils revenue from tolls would be low - $12 million a year by 2021. They thought the project would attract private-sector investment of $50 million to $80 million, leaving ratepayers to pay the balance. Advisers also warned that most traffic would use only short sections and use might be low as the alternative route was not much longer. It also faces strong community opposition.

Likely toll: $5 for a return trip.

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Weiti River to Whangaparaoa

Where: Toll road and bridge over the Weiti River between the North Shore and Whangaparaoa Peninsula. The road would link East Coast Rd at Redvale and the new State Highway 1 near Bawden Rd with Stanmore Bay.

Length: 7km.

Traffic problems: Needed to relieve pressure on present route along two-lane Whangaparaoa Rd, used by 26,000 vehicles daily and due to double in next 20 years.

Cost: $60 million.

Funding problems: Too costly for the region and not a Transit project, so there is no public money. National MP Lockwood Smith's Penlink Toll Rd Empowering Bill was blocked by Labour and the Greens this year in favour of generic legislation, which has now been passed.

Prospect of toll road: High. Rodney District Council has already completed most land purchases and consents. It has two tenders from a construction and financial consortium - ABN Amro-Fletcher Construction-Transfield and Macquarie Bank-Downer Works-Egis - on hold pending the new legislation. The road has community support.

Likely toll: $2 to $4 for 30 years.

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Transmission Gully

Where: Transmission Gully in Wellington. An alternative to the congested State Highway 1 in and out of the city. It would run inland from McKay's Crossing, north of Paekakariki, to Linden, south of Porirua.

Length: 27km.

Traffic problem: Gridlock at peak times on the SH1 coastal route - 28,000 vehicles a day.

Estimated cost: $250-$300 million.

Funding problem: Does not meet Transit's cost-benefit criteria. The earliest start date would have been 2014. United Future leader and local MP Peter Dunne, who has campaigned for years to have this road built, wanted it started by 2005.

Prospect of toll road: Medium-high. Transit and Swain have given the road priority. Designations are nearly complete, although Transit is yet to begin design investigation and apply for resource consents. Although the Transmission Gully row means little to those outside Wellington, its importance has soared with the fortunes of Dunne's party. The Government agreed to promote toll-road legislation in return for United Future support. However, its viability could be lessened if Transit goes ahead with proposals to build a four-lane bypass around Pukerua Bay north of Wellington.

Likely toll: Unknown.

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Tauranga bridge

Where: Second harbour bridge between Tauranga and Mount Maunganui.

Length: 3km.

Traffic problem: Heavy congestion.

Up to 40,000 cars travel on the existing two-lane harbour bridge, expected to increase to 55,000 by the year 2016.

Plans for a duplicate bridge alongside the existing one include a viaduct across the Marsh industrial area and a link to Takitimu Drive expressway.

Estimated cost: $135 million.

Funding problems: Tauranga City Council cannot afford to pay the up-front capital costs and would not get public funding for another 10years.

Prospect of toll road: Medium-high. Transit and the council have been working on viability.

Tauranga motorists are familiar with tolls - the previous harbour bridge was tolled and the council has legislation to toll another road, the so-called "Route K" between the Kaimai Ranges and the port. Resource consent hearings for the harbour crossing are nearly complete.

Likely toll: Unknown.

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Avondale extension

Where: State Highway 20 Avondale extension. The final link between the existing SH20 Manukau-Hillsborough motorway and the SH16 Northwestern Motorway.

Length: 5 to 8.5km.

Traffic problems: Accidents on Auckland's main arterial route, the Southern Motorway, can block traffic for hours as there are no alternatives. Linking Manukau City with the Northwestern Motorway gives drivers a second option, which could also reduce congestion on SH1.

Cost: $190 million to $880 million.

Funding problem: Could be very costly, may involve tunnelling, and could not get immediate public cash.

Prospect of toll road: Medium-high. Transit would consider paying for part of the route with a toll road. It is committed to completing the link in the next 10 years but is yet to go though the time-consuming and costly designations.

Likely toll: Unknown.

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Herald feature: Getting Auckland moving