Source: New Zealand Government
The NZ Transport Agency’s Board has endorsed the detailed business case for a new four-lane road in Hamilton which will deliver economic growth for the region, and approved $4.1 million for the next stage of design work, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.
The project, which is cost-shared between Hamilton City Council (HCC) and NZTA, will enable the completion of the Ruakura Inland Port while also unlocking residential and commercial land for the Ruakura Superhub.
“It’s welcome news that the NZTA Board has endorsed the detailed business case for the Ruakura Eastern Transport Corridor, which means the project now has $4.1 million funding approved to complete consenting and detailed design,” says Mr Bishop.
“The Ruakura Eastern Transport Corridor project will complete a strategic four-lane corridor for freight and regional traffic with some walking and cycling elements to connect into the existing network. It also includes a grade separated link over the East Coast Main Line railway line, connecting housing with employment. The Ruakura Eastern Transport Corridor currently has a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 6.7.
“A 2024 Future Proof study found that parts of the Hamilton roading network will soon be unable to accommodate the expected increases in traffic. This will cause extended periods of peak hour congestion, resulting in disruptions to 42 per cent of national freight volumes and jeopardising the generation of over 50 per cent of New Zealand’s GDP.
“The study concluded that the Ruakura Eastern Transport Corridor will enable ‘the golden triangle’ – Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton – to continue to provide freight corridors for the most economically significant part of New Zealand, putting the right traffic on the right roads to reduce congestion and improve freight reliability.
“On land owned by Tainui Group Holdings, the Ruakura Superhub is a nationally significant development which services around 45 per cent of New Zealand’s population, 42 per cent of the nation’s freight and 55 per cent of the country’s GDP with a 30ha inland port connected via rail to Auckland’s port and the Port of Tauranga.
“Recently the Prime Minister, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and I attended a ceremony at Ruakura where Tainui Group Holdings announced a long-term joint venture with global investment firm Brookfield. This exciting joint venture will see the development of a further 70 hectares of facilities for storing goods and moving them through different modes of transport including road and rail freight, making the transport corridor project even more important.”
Hamilton East MP Ryan Hamilton welcomes the news as this not only supports commercial activity at Ruakura but unlocks housing and development to support New Zealand’s fastest growing city.
Implementation of the Eastern Transport Corridor project is currently timed for 2027-30 National Land Transport Programme and is subject to further funding being approved.
Notes to Editor:
- Total cost of the pre-implementation phase is $4.1 million
- NZTA’s contribution is $2,091,000 (a FAR rate of 51%)
- A Multi-Party Funding Agreement is required between the various parties prior to seeking implementation funding.
- The cost to complete the full project is estimated at $300 million.
- On The BCR of 6.7 has been calculated based on P50 costs.
- The implementation phase is currently timed for the 2027-30 NLTP, with any decision on implementation made within overall prioritisation of the 2027-30 NLTP.
