The AA has welcomed a landmark moment in the development of Wellington’s Northern Corridor highway, a project which will deliver important transport, economic and safety benefits for the lower North Island.

Yesterday the NZ Transport Agency celebrated the turning of the first sod on the McKays to Peka Peka section of the Kapiti Expressway and announced that it will enter into preferred bidder negotiations with the Wellington Gateway Partnership for the Transmission Gully project.

“This is an early Christmas present for motorists, freight operators, and for the whole lower North Island economy,” says AA spokesperson Barney Irvine. “These two projects will provide for safer, more reliable, more efficient journeys, and will help promote growth in Wellington, Kapiti, Manawatu, and beyond.”

Strengthening the network for a natural disaster is also a big issue, says Mr Irvine.

“Once complete, the Northern Corridor will help make connections into and out of the capital much more resilient.  That will leave Wellington, and the rest of the country, far better equipped in the event of a major natural disaster.”

Meanwhile, Mr Irvine says the AA is delighted that the procurement process for Transmission Gully is moving forward.

“This consortium brings together a strong mix of skills and expertise, locally and internationally, and that’s exactly what we need for New Zealand’s first state highway public-private partnership.

“It’s great to see momentum building behind the Northern Corridor and the broader Roads of National Significance programme.”

For more information contact:

Barney Irvine
Principal Advisor – Infrastructure
New Zealand Automobile Association
T. 09 966 8608
M. 027 839 9309
E.  birvine@aa.co.nz

The New Zealand Automobile Association is an incorporated society with over one million members. It represents the interests of road users who collectively pay over $2 billion in taxes each year through fuels excise, road user charges and GST.