Two high-tech electronic toll gantries will begin operating on two key Tauranga routes later this year.
A nine-metre high gantry is on the Tauranga Eastern Link ahead of the official opening of the motorway, with the second on Tauranga's Route K, which is due to become a state in July 2015.
The TEL gantry is lifted into place. Photos: Supplied.
Each facility operates by photographing the number plate of every vehicle that uses the road.
'Each gantry has 16 cameras,” says NZ Transport Agency's Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regional Director Harry Wilson, 'which will capture an image of the vehicle's front and rear registration plates using the latest optical character recognition technology.
'The cameras will read the registration plates and determine the size of the vehicle and whether it is a motorcycle, car, truck, or bus so the correct toll can be assigned.
'This system is heralded internationally because of its performance, latest generation technology and low initial and operational costs.”
The two gantries will be the first of their kind in New Zealand, and are labelled as ‘single gantry, multi-lane free flow systems'.
'For a city that has adapted to the Tauranga Harbour Bridge and the Route K toll plazas, the new gantries show technology has moved on,” says Harry.
'The gantries in Tauranga are a single gantry which spans all of the lanes and has an exterior cladding.
'All of the technical elements are housed inside the gantry cladding and in the technical shelter on the roadside. This results in a sleeker and more sophisticated design and it also means there is less potential for driver distraction when any maintenance work is carried out.”
The main benefit of the free-flow systems is there are no toll booths, with drivers able to travel straight through them, reducing travel times and providing a more predictable journey.
The TEL gantry is installed at the toll point, between the Kaituna River bridge and the future Rangiuru Business Park interchange, near the Paengaroa roundabout. It was shipped into Tauranga in December.
The gantry installation is a significant milestone for the TEL and visible evidence that the project is nearing its final stages, says Harry.
'Tolling the TEL between the Domain Road interchange and the Paengaroa roundabout allowed the project to start a decade earlier than originally planned,” he adds.
Light vehicles using the TEL will pay $2, with heavy vehicles paying $5. The Route K toll will be $1.80 and $4.80 after July 2015.
The new tolling system is expected to be operational in early July, ahead of the TEL being opened and Route K being electronically tolled.
7 comments
how do they work.
Posted on 26-03-2015 18:30 | By Robert
Wouldn't it be nice if someone took the trouble to find out how this is all going to work, how we get billed and so on, before the last day.
Empty Roads
Posted on 26-03-2015 22:23 | By The Caveman
K route is about to become a ghost road and the TEL route will be the same as far as locals that are not in a hurry are concerned, but the tolls explain why NZTA want the road speed on the old SH2 through Te Puke reduced to 50km - an attempt to 'force” the through motorist onto the TEL road - when previously the 100km road was totally acceptable. If as expected the traffic volume on the old SH2 is going to drop, then the road must be even safer with less traffic !!! Oh, and yes how are the users expected to pay… Remember that 35% of the local residents are retired and don't have computers!!!!!!
Looking forward to Route K new Tolls
Posted on 27-03-2015 10:25 | By Rate1
This will speed up the process of entry/exit on Route K immensely with minimal hindrance - looking forward to July changeover. Unfortunate side issue is I suppose the current toll people will lose their jobs.
Australia has it right!!
Posted on 27-03-2015 11:17 | By carpedeum
A little garage door opener sized icon on the sun visor which is read automatically as you pass under AT NORMAL SPEED clicks the payment off your account ( start off with $25 credit) and then gets topped up from a credit card when it drops below $5.00- EASY - AUTOMATIC and operates on ALL toll roads and bridges in ALL STATES - Easy Peezie!!
Ages away
Posted on 27-03-2015 15:02 | By Berry White
There is a massive Q and A on Transport Agency website and TCC has information too. Doubt either of them would just not tell anyone how it works. Its months away! GREAT that TCC hs no Route K debt now and exciting that the TEL is about to open.
Also looking forward to it !
Posted on 27-03-2015 16:19 | By Busy1s
As frequent users of Route K, we welcome the new toll system. I think Caveman is quite wrong and that far from becoming a 'ghost road', removing the hassle of finding the coins or having to buy a card will probably see a lot more usage of the road. Any measures to make the Te Puke road safer, should be welcomed. Having express routes to carry major traffic volumes is common sense and a sign of our wonderful city's growth. You don't have to use them. It is wrong to assume also that all of the retired folk don't have computers. I suggest that they are now amongst the most savvy. Caveman, you may be best to use the old routes, but remember to slow down.
New TEL expressway
Posted on 30-03-2015 16:00 | By gary browne
This tollin system will be the same as the Northern Gateway north of Auckland. It works very well. You can open an account if you are a regular user and it will click over when you use the TEL (as is in Australia for çarpedeum's' info.)'Bring it on. If you feel you cannot cope with this huge improvement , nor with the tolling system, I feel you should stay home. Get with it!!g
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