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The first cars will hit the surface of Transmission Gully in November, after more than 100 years of waiting.
Traffic on State Highway 1 will be switched to a 1.3 kilometer section of Transmission Gully in Paekākāriki.
Traffic will be shifted to allow trucks to safely move a temporary asphalt plant built alongside the road for paving work, and to allow for the completion of the coastal connecting road running between the Paekākāriki and Mackays junction.
Southbound SH1 traffic will move to Transmission Gully first, while northbound traffic will remain on the old state highway, before passing five days later.
READ MORE:
* Transmission Gully will open in September 2021 after lengthy negotiations
* Transmission Gully: After five years and multiple delays, the unknowns keep piling up
* Possible layoffs in the billion dollar Transmission Gully project
Crews on site are currently trimming and preparing the top surface to be ready for application of the final surface coats in one week.
“It will be the public’s first opportunity to travel anywhere in Transmission Gully, so this is quite a significant milestone,” said project spokesperson Natasha Utting.
In August, Waka Kotahi NZTA revealed the new opening date and costs after months of negotiations with the private partners building the billion dollar highway.
Mark Coote / Supplied
Dave Armstrong says that a toll on Transmission Gully would help us realize that the true cost of cars is much higher than it seems.
The highway is now scheduled to open in September 2021, but will cost another $ 208 million to build.
The latest deal would bring the cost of Transmission Gully to $ 1.25 billion, now $ 400 million above the originally expected $ 850 million bill.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the Infrastructure Commission had been asked to oversee an urgent and comprehensive review of the project.
Mark Tantrum
Construction of an access road to the Transmission Gully Highway north from State Highway 58
By the numbers
- Transmission Gully’s new construction cost is $ 1.25 billion, an increase of $ 400 million from the original expected cost of $ 850 million.
- This comes after the “force majeure” clause in the public-private partnership to build the road triggered new negotiations, after the closure.
- Includes $ 145.5 million for builder CPB-HEB, $ 12.5 million for Wellington Gateway Partnership, and $ 5 million for road maintenance contractor Ventia.
- Another $ 45 million was added to the contract to allow for a different type of pavement, which can be applied by New Zealand contractors, and during the winter months.
- In February, the New Zealand Transportation Agency announced a $ 190 million settlement for “historic claims” from CPB-HEB.
