Tauranga Independent MP Brendan Horan is calling for Prime Minster John Key to personally apologise to the people of Tauranga for not fulfilling a six-year roading promise.

During this afternoon's parliamentary question time Brendan asked Minister of Finance Bill English whether a Hamilton to Tauranga route would be considered alongside other national projects.

The Hairini Bridge along Turret Road.

The question follows what Brendan describes as an unfulfilled $100million promise for four-laning the Tauranga central corridor by John Key as Leader of the Opposition in 2008.

Prime Minister John Key is in Tauranga tomorrow morning visiting several organisations, a time Brendan hopes he will use to apologise to Tauranga City.

Brendan says in 2008 the Prime Minister promised to relieve congestion for commuters from the eastern regions of the city, promising to build a tunnel from Welcome Bay, with a four-lane Hairini Bridge, and roading into city.

He unequivocally committed to a project including ‘a new bridge at Turret Road', says Brendan.

This call comes after Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee announced last month Tauranga ratepayers have been handed a $45m bill for the Turret Road Project.

The $45 million is the remainder of the $100 million Prime Minister John Key promised the government will spend four-laning the Tauranga central corridor. The $55 million Maungatapu underpass is part of that promise.

Responding to the question in parliament, Bill says it is the Government's approach to give long-term regional commitment so there is the security of knowing an infrastructure plan is in place and long-term funding to match those plans, not just empty promises.

Large building projects being planned or underway by the Government include Auckland's waterview connection and the Waikato Expressway.

Unable to comment in detail on the Turret Road Project, Bill says the scope of new road building in Tauranga is such that he starts wondering whether it does not exceed the growth in traffic.

'Because of the lobbying of local members and because of some robust analysis, there has been extensive expenditure in Tauranga. I am sure that if there is anything else there that warrants serious consideration, it will get it through the New Zealand Transport Agency process,” says Bill.

But Brendan says why anyone should believe the national party's plans after no money has been spent on the four-lane Tauranga central link six years on from the promise.

'Has his Government not taken the people of Tauranga for granted for long enough, and will he [Bill] advise the Prime Minister to apologise to the people of Tauranga tomorrow for this Government's failure to fulfil an election promise made six long years ago?” says Brendan.

'It was political deflection from the minister and I don't think it is good enough to treat something as serious which such a cavalier attitude.”