Details Of £159 Million 10-Year Highways Plan

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29366, 19 November 1960, Page 3

Details Of £159 Million 10-Year Highways Plan

(From Our Own Rrporter) WELLINGTON, November 18. The proposed £159 million, 10-year highways plan was not a programme the National Roads Board could approve and undertake to carry out. but it was one the board could confirm as necessary, board members were told yesterday.

A long Ministry of Works report placed before them showed there were at least £159.9 million worth of essential works to be done in the next decade, and only £155.5 million to spend.

The report contained a detailed list of proposed works for the decade in each roading district. This section was not released to the press.

The acting-chairman, Mr P. L. Laing, Director of Roading, said that after consideration by the board in committee, the details of proposed works would be referred to district road councils and. later, after further consideration by the board, would be released for publication.

Because of the deficiency between expected revenue and receipts board members were told that in the next three years they must either:

1. Reduce the rural State highways programme by £2 million a year. 2. Defer the completion of motorways. 3. Slow up both rural State highway and motorway programmes.

Mr A. O. Glasse (Municipalities) said a fourth course should be added to the report—get more, money.

Mr Laing; The purpose of this 10-year plan is to show people what we can do and what we can’t do. If they want more money, well . . .” Mr N. B. Hunt (Counties): What is going to suffer? Rural programmes or motorways? Mr Laing: That’s what we are here to decide.

Mr Hunt: Well, as a county representative . . . Mr Laing: Please, Mr Hunt—you are not a county representative now. This is the National Roads Board.

Mr Laing said there was very little in the plan which could be cut. Maintenance could not be cut and bridge renewal could not be held down. And, in addition, during the 10-year period, works at present not even thought of would appear and become imperative and urgent. Mr Glasse said that if the work on motorways was slowed down it would cost more money in the long run than if the extra money was found now because of traffic congestion and rising costs. The plan is made up as follows:

“The current year’s programme, totalling £12.4 million, has been projected forward at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum, which is believed to be a conservative figure,” said the report. “Tire proposed total programme rises quickly to a peak of nearly £lB million in the years 1962 and 1963 and falls away to £13.4 million in the last year. Motorways

“This is due, on the one hand, to the needs of Auckland and Wellington motorways early in the period, and, perhaps, to the difficulty of forecasting needs 10 years hence. “However, there is no doubt that the marcli of events will throw up still more works which cannot now be foreseen. “Another reason for the sudden rise in demand is the large increase in the proposed rural State highways programme which, in 1961. exceeds the total amount available in 1960, including funds for motorways. Such a programme is obviously quite beyond our means.

“Although the total target can be largely met over the whole period, it must be programmed, year by year, to match annual revenue. It is believed the motorways programmes are realistic and that the rate and timing of construction proposed by districts for this feature are the sensible ones.

“In the recommended programme, therefore, the annual demands for motorways, as proposed by districts, are retained, but the rural highways programme is reduced in the first years from what was proposed and increased in the latter years. The total volume of works remains the same.

“If we can learn anything from countries with more highlydeveloped roading systems, it is that the funds necessary for better roads will be provided by the community, only when the need for road improvement can be described convincingly by facts and figures supported by intelligent estimates 'of future traffic, based on current traffic flow and population growth,” said the report. “The staff of the Roading Division has begun a detailed factual study of the roading needs which will take some time to complete. In the meantime, the extreme difficulty the board is having in providing adequate finance for urban motorways makes it necessary to have a preliminary look at the demands that will be made on it over the next 10 years to see if they can be met within its available resources. “Tbis 10-year target plan is, to that extent, a preliminary look.” Roading Needs The report listed roading needs as follows: 1. The first and most important is the preservation of existing roading assets, J>at is. maintenance. This will require some 550 miles of resealing each year. 2. The renewal of old timber bridges or those which are too nasrow or hazardous to traffic. Sixteen and a half miles of bridges wll be renewed in the 10-year period. 3. The strengthening and rebuilding of worn-out carriage-

ways, and those which are failing under the impact of the heavy increase in industrial traffic in some districts. There are about 1300 miles to be strengthened, 4. A steady increase in the length of sealed, dust-free surfaces. The annual target is 150 miles.

5. A gradual increase in the mileage of smooth, higher-class pavements in and on the approaches to urban areas.

6. The reconstruction on existing alignment to moderate standards of rural sections of State highways where traffic is moderate, to increase traffic safety and comfort. This will total 1000 miles. 7. The reconstruction of 350 miles of highway to modern standards where this can be justified by traffic. 8. The relief of traffic congestion in,the major towns by the construction of motorways where such relief cannot be given by other and cheaper means.

9. The construction of new highways, for example, the Haast road and the proposed ,Kopu-Hikuai road across the Coromandel Peninsula. 10. The acquistion of land to make possible the construction of motorways. It is estimated that £6.110,000 will be spent in the next 10 years.

Maintenance and minor im£>n provements 48.946 Bridge renewals 13.921 Strengthen and or widen pavements 16.222 Extension of sealing, highclass pavements and reconstruction on existing alignment 25.286 Reconstruction on improved alignment and deviations 12.095 Special urban works 3.653 Motorway construction, including structures 29.655 Land purchase for motorways 6.110 New highways 2.797 Surveys, investigations, miscellaneous 1.218 Total 159.903