Wed, 29 Sep 2004

$20 million MacKay's crossing project underway

Work starts today on a $20 million railway overbridge near Paekakariki.

---------------------------------

Work starts today on a $20 million project to improve safety and ease congestion through the construction of a new four-lane railway overbridge at MacKay's crossing, north of Paekakariki on state highway one.

The event is being marked by a ceremonial sod-turning by Transport Minister, Pete Hodgson.

"Over $664 million is set to be spent on improving all modes of transport, including rail, road, walking and cycling in the Wellington region alone over the next ten years," says Pete Hodgson.

"Since coming to office, this government has worked hard to address the underinvestment and run down of our transport infrastructure through the second half of the 1990s. This government realises the importance of decent transport to our economy, local communities and the environment and is backing this with record funding, $18.7 billion over the next ten years."

Mr Hodgson noted that the commencement of work at MacKay's crossing was but one of a substantial number of land transport projects being undertaken in the Wellington region.

"Construction of the Inner City Bypass, costing $39.89 million, is soon to get underway. The $34.2 million Plimmerton to Paremata upgrade; including a new bridge at Paremata, should be completed by the middle of next year. Work is also continuing on the $14 million upgrading to SH2 north of Upper Hutt. The government has also made a contribution to refurbishing 36 Wellington rail passenger rolling stock. More funding for the Wellington rail network is likely to follow that."

The construction of the bridge at MacKay's crossing is the result of the partnership approach to transport being taken by central and local government, community groups, Transfund and Transit. This approach was boosted earlier this month with green light being given to the Wellington Transport Project to investigate options for future transport projects and their funding in the region.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>