MEDIA RELEASE
NZ Transport Agency Wellington Regional Office

23 December 2009

Sandhills Expressway Alliance

Following recent decisions on the route for the Wellington Northern Corridor, the NZ Transport Agency has announced it will establish a roading ‘Alliance’ for the Sandhills Expressway (Mackays Crossing to Peka Peka).

The Sandhills Expressway broadly following the Western Link Road Corridor, bypasses the existing State Highway 1 from either south of Poplar Avenue or 200 Main Road South through to an interchange connection at Peka Peka.

State Highways Manager Wellington Rob Whight says NZTA wants to provide certainty to the local community about the proposed route as soon as possible.

“We are committed to fast-tracking the Sandhills Expressway and believe that a roading Alliance is the most effective way of achieving this.

Mr Whight says an Alliance provides an alternative delivery method from the more traditional forms of contracting and is generally more suited to projects containing significant technical or time driven risks such as the Sandhills Expressway.

“An Alliance involves joint ownership of a project and, in the case of the Sandhills Expressway, would be made up of representatives from the NZTA, a consultant and a contractor working together.”

Mr Whight says NZTA will undertake the first stage of the tendering process to identify potential Alliance partners in January 2010.

ENDS

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