Transmission Gully: blaming games and anger for fifth road delay in two years

[ad_1]

The whistleblower and blame games have started after transport agency Waka Kotahi NZ confirmed that Transmission Gully will not be open in time for Christmas.

We still don’t know when it will be open.

The long-awaited billion dollar highway has now missed five deadlines in the past two years, having already been pushed back from April 2020, May 2020, November 2020 and September 2021.

Dozens of security assurance and resource consent tests have not been completed, and some construction work continues.

“It’s frustrating that this goes on and on,” said Porirua Mayor Anita Baker. “I’m empty.”

READ MORE: * Transmission Gully Won’t Open in 2021, Transport Agency Confirms * Transmission Gully Opening Before Christmas Looks Questionable, Despite Speculation * Transmission Gully: Dozens of Resource Consents Still Incomplete

Opening the road for Christmas would have given those who live on the coast north of Wellington a respite from the bumper-to-bumper traffic they face each year as holidaymakers flock to Wellington.

Ross giblin

The intersection of SH1Transmission Gully and SH59 at Linden. Transmission Gully will not be open until Christmas.

“I was looking forward to it like everyone else. Now there will still be huge queues across Mana and Pukerua Bay, ”said Baker.

The December 17 deadline was agreed between Waka Kotahi, Wellington Gateway Partnership and road builder CPB HEB JV after the previous opening day of September 27 was pushed back due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

ROSA WOOD

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said she was frustrated with the delay in the road.

Several local politicians said they had been skeptical about the possibility of the opening day.

“I couldn’t see this happening,” said Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Daran Ponter, “not on the basis of the things we were involved in.”

The mayor of Kapiti, K Gurunathan, agreed.

“I knew they weren’t going to be able to do it. In the company we are in, we see resource clearings for more minor projects, and it takes a long time. “

Waka Kotahi chairman Sir Brian Roche denied the deadline was unrealistic, but apologized that the deadline was missed.

“When it was created. it was very realistic. You must have a tough target. We make no apologies for setting the deadline. It was achievable, but it was not, unfortunately.

Monique Ford / Stuff

Waka Kotahi NZ transport agency chairman Sir Brian Roche denied the opening date was unrealistic.

He said responsibility for the delays ultimately rested with the Wellington Gateway Partnership, which had been hired to complete the route.

“There are still problems on the road … They did not achieve this goal.”

Asked how people are losing faith in Waka Kotahi to deliver large infrastructure projects after repeated road delays and cost explosions, Roche admitted he understood the sentiment.

Ross giblin

The 17-mile freeway is about to become part of State Highway 1.

“I don’t think it would be fair to say that we can’t deliver big projects,” he said. “It was just one of those projects that took us further than anyone expected.”

Security testing is considered the most serious issue causing delays. Roche has indicated that it “may actually take some time” before all of the approvals are met.

Wellington Gateway Partnership

Several incomplete safety tests have been blamed for delaying the road.

CPB HEB submitted 41 final tests, 34 of which were approved by the independent reviewer, Aurecon New Zealand. The other 59 were only partially submitted.

WGP and CPB HEB are also required to submit 45 resource authorizations to Greater Wellington Regional Council for approval, of which 17 have been completed and 26 are pending. Two resource authorizations relating to a fill site have not been initiated.

Wellington Gateway Partnership

An update image of Transmission Gully construction in October 2021.

About half of these relate to the legal protection of the mitigation plantation areas along the highway.

The construction of a storm water system is still in progress, which must be operational and capable of treating the runoff from the road to the standards required for the opening of the road.

Ponter said the delays in resource clearing were the fault of the WGP and CPB HEB, not the regional council staff.

MONIQUE FORD / Stuff

GWRC chairman Daran Ponter said the delays were not the regional council’s fault.

“Their overall lead times have decreased dramatically. To suggest that this is all due to the area council is a bit rude at this point given that we are now almost two years past the original opening date.

“The processing is on the road builder’s side of the equation. We can’t do anything until we have it in our hands.

When asked why there were so many resource consents and security testing still incomplete and why these had not been started sooner, WGP chief executive Sergio Mejia was unsuccessful. not commented specifically.

MONIQUE FORD / Stuff

Wellington Gateway Partnership chief executive Sergio Mejia doesn’t blame the delays.

“We do not assign any blame. This has been an extremely difficult project on several levels, including the effects on our supply chain of the disruptions related to Covid19; that continue to have an impact on the project, ”said Mejia.

A new deadline for opening the road has not been determined. It will be negotiated between WGP, CPB HEB and Waka Kotahi. Roche said it would “not be early January”.

CPB HEB was facing a fine of $ 7.5 million and $ 250,000 per day if the road was not opened by the September 27 deadline, but that is also being renegotiated.

[ad_2]