The government is considering a new highway project that could cost a lot, but the exact amount is still unknown.
The “Accelerating Northland Expressway” will be a four-lane road connecting Auckland to Whangārei. The government wants to speed up this project as part of its Roads of National Significance program.
The Infrastructure Commission told Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop that this project might take up 10% of the government’s entire budget for building new infrastructure over the next 25 years. This includes funding for roads, hospitals, schools, and more.
In a document sent in July, the commission expressed concern that the project focuses too much on speed. They warned that this could lead to not achieving the expected results. On July 23, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to combine three different road projects into one larger project to speed up construction. The estimated cost of this project has not been revealed yet, but officials will review the investment case later this year.
The commission also noted that the cost estimates could be uncertain and might be much higher than expected, with past projects sometimes costing 50% to 100% more than original forecasts. They raised issues about whether the project should be a priority given the limited funding available.
Brown clarified that the document aimed to check interest from companies willing to work on the Northland Expressway, and updates would come in the following months. The government remains dedicated to this highway project.
Adam Currie, a campaigner from 350 Aotearoa, criticized the government’s focus on this project. He argued that spending 10% of the infrastructure budget on one highway is not reasonable when there are needs for schools and hospitals. He pointed out that bigger roads can increase climate pollution and suggested that funds could be better used for other initiatives.
