Key road projects are forecast to boost New Zealand’s infrastructure construction sector over the medium-term, as projects associated with the Christchurch rebuild begin to wind-down.
Industry analyst and economic forecaster BIS Shrapnel’s
Building and Construction in New Zealand 2016- 2021 report indicates projects under the Accelerated Auckland Transport Programme – such as the Western Ring Route, East-West connection and Auckland-Manuaku Eastern Transport Initiative – will drive growth in the sector.
Report author Adeline Wong says while the value of new dwelling consents is expected to reach an all-time highs of NZ$6 billion by 2021 – thanks to a strong population growth and a housing-stock deficiency in Auckland – infrastructure construction trends will be more subdued.
“Infrastructure construction will follow a relatively subdued trend over most of the forecast period as projects associated with the Christchurch rebuild are being completed and hence may phase down in the near term,” Wong says.
The report also points to the Wellington Transmission Gully Road and the Auckland City Rail Link project as projects with the potential to contribute to sector growth and boost the nation’s economy.
Meanwhile, the largest roading project in Waikato’s history is slated to get underway. The 21.8km long Hamilton section is
expected to be the most complex and highly anticipated section of the Waikato Expressway project. The Transport Agency board has approved $973 million to fund the project.
Once all sections are complete by 2020, the Waikato Expressway will reduce the journey time between Auckland and south of Cambridge by up to 35 minutes.
It includes 17 bridges, five new interchanges, walking and cycle paths, and will see a restoration strategy developed for number of Hamilton’s gully systems. It is estimated the section of the four-lane highway will require up to 4 million cubic metres of earthworks, 1.3 million tonnes of aggregate, up to 1 million m3 of open graded porous asphalt, 28,450m3 of concrete, 212 km road markings and 126 km of fencing.
New Zealand Transport Agency Hamilton Highways Manager, Kaye Clark says the project will improve connections for freight and business, support economic growth and development, and significantly improve safety on the stretch of State Highway 1.
“The project is highly anticipated and supported by the Waikato community and we are excited to get underway on what will be a huge job,” she says. During construction up to 600 people will be working onsite to get the road open.
“The expressway connects inter-regional traffic with local destinations which is vital for the economy and for our vibrant communities.”