Region's top transport priorities

Creation of Stage 1 of the Western Link Road – from Waikanae to Paraparaumu – tops a recommended priority list of new transport projects for the region.

The draft list, to be confirmed or amended by members of Wellington Regional Transport Committee next week, prioritises projects to be included in the Regional Land Transport Programme for the next three years. The proposed programme will go to public consultation in the March.

Fran Wilde, Chair of the Regional Transport Committee, said she hoped the committee would secure funding from central government for all of the high and medium priority projects and some of the low ones. “Muldoon’s corner, on the Rimutaka Hill Road, was one of the high priorities on our draft list and we’re delighted the Government has confirmed this week the work will start in October.”

Second on the draft list is the upgrade of the Basin Reserve. This is a key element of the recently adopted Ngauranga to Airport corridor plan and is one of the busiest intersections in the region. The work involves separating east/west from north/south traffic flows to enable traffic to flow more smoothly and is a crucial part of an enhanced passenger transport ‘spine’ between Wellington Railway Station and Newtown.

Third is a package of improvements to the region’s rail network, including seven more electric trains (over and above the 48 on order), partial double tracking of the line between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki, double tracking the line between Trentham and Upper Hutt and a range of signalling and track upgrades. The package is aimed at ensuring peak hour trains run every 15 minutes on the Kapiti, Hutt Valley and Johnsonville lines.

Fran Wilde said the draft list prioritised new projects only. “There is a lot of work that is already committed and under way, such as the Dowse to Petone upgrade, major rail work preparing for the new trains, preliminary technical and exploratory work on Transmission Gully and creation of a real time information system for public transport.”

She said the Transmission Gully Motorway was in the regional programme. “This continues to be the region’s priority for increasing capacity along SH1. It is a project of national significance, and we hope the funding issues will be addressed by the Government soon.”