'Twin' bridge, tolls mooted

Toll roads and converting a Hamilton bridge from two to four lanes are being proposed to ease Waikato traffic jams.

The proposal to build a second bridge adjacent to Pukete Bridge and include it in the city's new ring-road arterial network is likely to be a key component in the $50 million Access Hamilton programme.

Introducing tolls has been raised as a possibility by city councillor Dave Macpherson.

Pukete, opened in 1996, will soon be the city's busiest bridge. Nine years ago, 12,500 vehicles crossed it daily. Last year, more than 21,800 cars a day used it.

Planners have always allowed scope to add a bridge crossing from Wairere Drive and the Access Hamilton plan brings the widening forward.

The city council last week voted to introduce a targeted rate to pay for the traffic programme.

Staff present traffic figures for the city bridges to the council in April. Councillors will then decide whether to four-lane Pukete or Whitiora - another busy bridge.

The news that Waikato could have its first four-lane bridge came as the council's transport committee was told the eastern express and Huntly bypasses were expected to cost more than $250 million.

Road tolls could be used to pay for it, said transport committee chairman Mr Macpherson.

"I suspect the Government would be willing to fund some [of the cost] if we show that we could provide half or a third of the costs from tolls."

Mr Macpherson said this was only a possible funding option and was "not ideal".

He stressed that if it did happen, the tolls would be for a fixed period until the project was paid off, and that the roads would still be publicly owned.

- NZPA