NZTA’s preferred alignment for the Puhoi-Warkworth section of the Puhoi-Wellsford “holiday highway” is currently open for submission – until January 28th. I went to an open day on the alignment late last year – and blogged about some of the details at the time. To refresh memories, the currently preferred alignment for the Puhoi-Warkworth section of this road is shown in the map below:
Perhaps most usefully, there’s also a video animation of the alignment: showing where there will need to be bridges and where there will need to be enormous earthworks to create a motorway standard alignment.
It’s pretty easy to make a submission. You have a number of options:
- Fill in the online submission form.
- Email your feedback to puhoi-wellsford@nzta.govt.nz
- Write something out in hard copy and mail it to:
FreePost Authority Number 66927,
Puhoi to Wellsford road of national significance,
PO Box 9806,
Newmarket,
Auckland 1149
Sometimes writing submissions on things like this can be a bit daunting – in particular the “where do I start?” and “I don’t want to miss anything” questions always arise. So below I’ve outlined my submission – which I haven’t sent off quite yet (so I’m open for suggestions and improvements). Feel free to copy all of this or part of it and submit to NZTA.
Feedback on Puhoi-Warkworth proposed route:
This feedback is broken into a number of sections – each of which is detailed further. The sections are:
1. General matters relating to the project – in particular its cost-effectiveness (or lack thereof.)
2. Matters relating to the sequencing of the project – in particular the ‘fast-tracking’ of the Warkworth bypass.
3. Safety issues with the existing road
4. The southern section of the project (including Puhoi interchange discussion)
5. The ‘middle’ section of the project
6. The northern section of the project
7. Concluding remarks and recommendationsGeneral Matters:
The Puhoi-Wellsford upgrade was announced as a ‘road of national significance’ in March 2009, and was officially accorded such status in the May 2009 Government Policy Statement. The first business case for the project was completed by SKM in December 2009 (see attached) and the results of that business case were included in the January 2010 project summary statement. Meanwhile, SAHA International Limited undertook a business case analysis of all the roads of national significance throughout late 2009 and early 2010. This led to a report (see attached) concluding that while the seven RoNS made economic sense ‘as a whole’, a number of projects within the ‘RoNS package’ had poor cost-benefit ratios. This included the Puhoi-Wellsford proposal.
The 2009 SKM business case calculated that the project had a standard BCR of 0.8, which rose to 1.1 if ‘wider economic benefits’ were included. The SAHA International report calculated that the project had a BCR of 0.4. The discrepancy between the two was explained in the SAHA report as being due to the SAHA calculations being based on more recent (GPS4?) costings, and due to a more standard time period for measuring the project’s benefits being used.
The business case work done so far on this project indicates that its cost-effectiveness is far from certain. Therefore, in my opinion it would be prudent for NZTA to undertake further work to examine the cost-effectiveness of the project before any further public funds are spent on its investigation, design and construction. There are a large number of necessary transport projects around Auckland in particular that require funding, so it would be illogical to continue spending so much money on a project where the benefits appear to be so poor.
Sequencing of the Project & Safety Considerations:
It is recognised that the existing State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Wellsford has major inadequacies. The intersections at Warkworth in particular act as a major bottleneck for the entire route, causing major traffic jams – not only during holiday periods but also on a regular basis. In my opinion the current widening project through Warkworth represents a complete waste of money as it does not improve the bottlenecks at all – they still exist at a two lane bridge just south of Shoesmith Street and at the major intersection with Hill Street and Sandspit Road.
The second major inadequacy of the existing road is its safety record. This is most particularly the case in the Dome Valley, but also between Puhoi and Warkworth. 15 people died on State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Warkworth between 2000 and 2009. The Schedewys Hill area is particularly dangerous due to poor geometry and (in my opinion) the rather unfortunate location of a number of passing lanes. The Dome Valley Road between Warkworth and Wellsford is even more dangerous, with 26 fatalities between 2000 and 2009.
It seems obvious that there is an immediate need for safety upgrades on the existing section of State Highway 1 – most probably in the form of concrete median barriers to eliminate head-on collisions (the most common cause of death). It also seems obvious to fast-track the Warkworth bypass section of the road. Once a Warkworth bypass, and safety upgrades to the existing road have been completed, the cost-effectiveness of the remainder of the project should be reconsidered before it progresses any further. After all, if it is possible to solve 80% of the problem for 10% of the price – then that opportunity should definitely be taken.
The ‘Southern Section’ of the Project (including the Puhoi interchange):
The project branches off from the existing State Highway 1 route immediately at the northern end of the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels. It then appears to travel adjacent to the existing road until near the intersection with Mahurangi West Road, before turning further inland. No connection between the new motorway and the existing road, nor between Puhoi and the new motorway, are currently proposed.
The environmental impact of this section of the route needs further analysis, as it appears quite significant. A large level of earthworks appears necessary to achieve the gradients of a motorway standard. Given that the new alignment runs next to the existing state highway for this section, given the concerns of Puhoi residents about not having access to the new road and given the significant amount of earthworks necessary for this section, further consideration should be given to widening the existing alignment of State Highway 1 to four lanes instead of constructing a new alignment – at least between the Johnstone’s Hill tunnels and Mahurangi West Road.
Should the existing alignment retained, there is a question of whether an interchange should be provided for Puhoi – so that access to that town and surrounding residents from the new road can be retained. While the residents of Puhoi and surrounding areas have a legitimate concern about accessibility, that needs to be weighed up against the environment impact of a motorway interchange in a very sensitive area and also the potential that such an interchange may encourage ‘urban sprawl’ around Puhoi.
The ‘Middle Section’ of the Project
The ‘middle section’ of the project is noted as being between Mahurangi West Road and Perry Road. I have concerns about the environment impact and the cost-effectiveness of this section of the project. A number of very significant cuts are proposed, creating a high level of landscape modification and the potential for significant sediment runoff during construction. The visual impact of the project through this section may also be significant as it appears to run along a ridgeline for much of its length.
The costliness of this section also appears very significant. There are two consecutive viaducts in the vicinity of the Pohuehue scenic reserve that both appear to be around 500 metres in length. These are likely to be highly costly structures, and also are likely to generate significant adverse environmental effects.
As an alternative, previous NZTA plans to bypass Schedewys Hill should be undertaken – at a far lower cost and providing much of the benefit of the current proposal. This would be a significant safety improvement and also save motorists time as they could avoid the current difficult corners in this area. Otherwise, the existing road offers close to 100 kph travelling speeds most of the time and it would seem could be retained and offer much the same quality of travel as the new motorway.
The ‘Northern Section’ of the Project
The section north of Perry Road is supported and should be advanced as soon as possible. This section offers the greatest benefits, as it bypasses Warkworth and therefore avoids most of the congestion problems caused by Warkworth. Under the current plans, there will be no relief from congestion in Warkworth for another eight years, until the project as a whole is completed. It seems unnecessary to delay the Warkworth bypass in order to build the rest of the project – when most of the problems would be solved by the Warkworth bypass, at least for an interim time.
It would be necessary to make a ‘link road’ between Matakana Road, Sandspit Road and where the Warkworth bypass connects to the existing State Highway 1 road. This would ensure all traffic travelling to the beaches east of Warkworth (the traffic which creates most of the congestion problems) would not have to pass through Warkworth. NZTA and Auckland Transport should discuss the alignment and funding of such a connection road as an integral part of the Warkworth bypass project.
Conclusions & Recommendations:
The economics of the proposed Puhoi-Wellsford road as a whole, including this section of it, appear highly debatable. Different cost-benefit analyses have found highly different results – and therefore as a first step before spending any further money on the project, its cost-effectiveness should be thoroughly reassessed.
The two significant problems faced along State Highway 1 are congestion around Warkworth and safety concerns. A Warkworth bypass, and safety upgrades to the existing road alignment, should be fast-tracked to alleviate these problems at an earlier date than the proposed 2019 completion date for the project. Once a Warkworth bypass, and safety upgrades, have been completed, the remainder of the project should be analysed to determine its cost-effectiveness.
The proposed alignment itself appears to generate significant adverse environmental effects. These need to be fully considered, and alternatives explored, in any assessment of a final alignment. Upgrading portions of the existing road to four-lane standard (the ‘southern section’), bypassing Schedewys Hill and constructing the Warkworth bypass appears to be a far more cost-effective option than what is currently proposed.
In my opinion NZTA must reconsider the proposed route to provide a more cost-effective, quickly delivered and less environmentally damaging alignment as outlined in this feedback.
Make sure your voice is heard.
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Don’t know if you’re being pedantic about grammar:
“Should the existing alignment beretained,”
Would it be worth recommending that BCA be considered for the sepate sections (e.g. the three you mention above), instead of, or perhaps in parallel with, doing one for the project as a whole?
Some additional thoughts which may prove useful.
The Puhoi to Wellsford Motorway Extension was supposed to be a ‘Road of National Significance’ to provide a ‘vital part of Northland’s ecomomic and social wellbeing’. The Puhoi to Warkworth section at issue does nothing to achieve this as NZTA have admitted in the past few days that the Warkworth to Wellsford section will not be completed until 2032. Furthermore, they have admitted that they have no idea how they will get the road through the Dome Valley at present.
The Puhoi to Warkworth section at issue will be completed “between 2019 and 2022″, so that’s potentially another 11 years before the urgently required safety improvements will be completed and congestion eased around Warkworth.
The road will probably be tolled, which means that there will not be access at Puhoi and access at Warkworth will be to the north only. This will do nothing to appease the Warkworth business community, will not ease the congestion in Warkworth and unless the feeder road to Matakana and Sandspit Roads is completed at the same time, will cause even more congestion in Warkworth with none of the benefits.
The environmental impact on the ‘Southern Section” will be HUGE, with an enormous viaduct across Puhoi Road, a 200m viaduct up the valley of Hungry Creek and in the ‘Middle Section’ 2 more 500m viaducts on the edge of the Pohuehue Scenic reserve. Incidently, this area provides the water supply for Warkworth and the difficulty of constructing a motorway without affecting the water supply cannot be underestimated. NZTA propose to acquire a large area of land just south of here at the point where it crosses Moirs Hill Road. Given the huge amount of excavation due to take place and the fact that they are proposing to use the spoil to fill a valley to provide a flat platform, it would seem the obvious place to site a “Service Area’ (a la Dairy Flat), a fact that NZTA were not prepared to confirm or deny at a recent meeting. This would be disastrous for the area.
There are already a number of studies in existence on the re-alignment of Schedewys Hill and the residents here have been prepared for more than 20 years to be subjected to acquisitions and major disruptions. This section could be built “off-line” with no disruption to the existing SH1 traffic until the 2 ends were joined on completion. This could be done almost immediately and would have an immediate effect on safety (reducing fatalities) and on efficiency of the road by reducing gradients and providing a better alignment.
If the existing road were upgraded, the ‘Northern section’ could start further north, past Perry Road, where the conditions are far less challenging and the environmental impact is much reduced. Traffic for Warkworth town centre could continue on the existing highway and traffic for Wellsford and beyond and for the Eastern Beaches using the by-pass. Access points should be provided to the west of Warkworth for traffic serving the industrial area around Woodcocks Road and to the north for through traffic and for access to the feeder road to the Eastern beaches. The feeder road should certainly be included in the by-pass plan.
What this sceme does not address at all is the safety problems through the Dome Valley. As NZTA have admitted that the next part of the sceme is unlikely to be finished before 2032, urgent work is needed to stop the futile waste of life on this road during the next 21 years. Any submission should call for the cancellation of the motorway and urgent safety work to be carried out NOW on the whole of this deadly section of road.
If congestion in Wakworth is the problem, why not just build a small town bypass?
Together with the safety problems on State Highway 1
Congestion is NOT a day to day problem in Warkworth – the only time people complain about congestion are those few days a year when large numbers of people living south of Warkworth lemming-like migrate to their holiday homes / camping grounds etc in the north. They all seem to travel at the same time and all ignore the fact that SH16 is a perfectly acceptable alternative to those travelling north of Wellsford. As a resident of Warkworth I am happy to say that traffic flows on SH1 are now back to normal (i.e. flowing better than most roads).
What IS a problem however, is the fact that Warkworth has been allowed to sprawl along SH1 with quite dense urban ribbon development along the road. People have been attracted to purchasing property along the road (either for convenience or because the properties are much cheaper) and now they want a bypass so that they don’t have to put up with the noise of SH1 traffic. Also, those people want their property values to increase – whcih they will if a bypass is built.
So, to summarise: non-residents want the bypass because they don’t like the congestion they have to endure when they go on their holiday outings “up north”;
residents want the bypass because they don’t want SH1 traffic noise / pollution;
local businesses, many of which are clustered along Woodcocks Road, want some way for suppliers and delivery trucks to get to them easily without having to double back through local roads.
Pleasing everyone is going to be difficult if not impossible. I, for one, will not be happy if the northern section goes ahead as indicated because not only would beautiful countryside be destroyed for ever (when ther are alternate roads already in place) but I would be left living almost on top of a 4 lane heavy freight motorway!
I received a newsletter email for the submission process today. Its a basic summary of the submissions received.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
THE NEED FOR THE ROAD
There were various and often conflicting views relating to the need for the highway. We found that people:
• Support the need for the highway and want it built as quickly as possible.
• Want the highway to continue to Wellsford.
• Are opposed to the idea of a new highway because they;
– do not believe that the country can afford the highway
– do not believe that the benefits of the new highway
outweigh the costs
– believe major traffic problems only occur rarely.
• Oppose the highway or advocate different alternatives like;
– doing nothing – keep the existing road
– upgrade the existing road
– upgrade the Hill St intersection
– bypass Warkworth and Wellsford only
– improve public transport
– improve rail and sea links with Northland.
• Support the indicative
THE FEATURES OF THE ROUTE
There was varied feedback relating to the design of the route which was sometimes conflicting. Feedback included:
• Support for the northern access at Warkworth.
• Desire for an access south of Warkworth as well as in the north.
• Support for an access to Warkworth at Woodcocks Road.
• Opposition to an access to Warkworth at Woodcocks Road.
• Perry Road being proposed as a southern access point for a Warkworth bypass.
• Requesting access to the motorway at Puhoi/Mahurangi West because;
– it is necessary for the communities and local
businesses to survive
– it is necessary for the access of emergency services or
the diversion of traffic in an incident
– otherwise the existing access to the Northern
Gateway Toll Road will be denied
– no access will reduce toll revenue on the Northern
Gateway Toll Road.
• Not wanting access to the motorway at Puhoi/Mahurangi West because;
– It would negatively impact the village of Puhoi
– It would add a lot of cost to the project.
• Requesting other improvements to the local road network be incorporated into the project, including;
– a Matakana link road
– the Western Collector road in Warkworth.
• Suggesting prioritising a bypass for Warkworth (and Wellsford) in any staged construction. Some also suggested that the rest of the route can be reassessed after these have been built.
We also received feedback that related to specific local impacts or conditions – sometimes this was conflicting. We found that people:
• Have identified areas where they believe local conditions will make building a road difficult. For example the low lying land between Carran Road and SH1 (where the indicative route reconnects to SH1).
• Are concerned that a bypass of Warkworth will have a negative impact on the town.
• Believe that a bypass of Warkworth will have a positive impact on the town.
• Are concerned about the impact the road will have in the vicinity of Perry Road and suggested that the road is moved further west.
• Are concerned about the impact the road will have on the area of Moirs Hill Road.
• Are concerned about the effects the road will have on the air and noise quality for their property/lifestyles.
• Are concerned about the visual impact the new road will have in their area or on their property/lifestyles.
• Are concerned about how construction traffic will access the construction area.
• Had concerns about the impact of the bridge crossing over Puhoi Road.
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Are they required to change the plan based on feedback ? Does the quantity of feedback, negative or positive, require them to respond?
NZTA are simply going through the motions and doing what they have to do -no more. Interestingly, they do not mention the concern that I and a number of others have put in our submissions. That is, that waiting for this ridiculous holiday highway to be built means that the URGENT safety work required to save lives on the existing SH1 will not be carried out.
Furthermore Bob it will never be done because it will no longer be SH1, NZTA will wipe their hands of it as they will have their big new four-laner to maintain. It is quite likely that the road will be even more lethal with less traffic on it: Average speeds higher, free for every idiot to express themselves without the freight traffic calming it down. Shameful. I’ll be taking SH16
Fantastic opinion piece in today’s Herald Bob.