Budget funding for the proposed Tauranga Eastern Corridor will help create jobs and future-proof the city, said Tauranga MP Simon Bridges this week, who approved the announcement.
The Government plans to spend $3 billion on improving the State Highway network over the next three years and money for the Tauranga Eastern Corridor is included in this amount.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce confirmed the funding as part of Budget announcements last week.
'Our economy relies on the State Highway network. When traffic isn't moving, neither is the country, which is why the government is committing more of the land transport fund to State Highways than ever before,” says Steven.
'This increase is not a one-off. We'll now spend about a billion dollars each year on State Highway construction,” he says.
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said the funding would help future-proof the city and create jobs.
The spending plan will provide around $10.7 billion over 10 years for investment in the State Highway network. Other priority projects set to receive funding include Puhoi to Wellsford – State Highway 1; completion of the Auckland western ring route – State Highways 20, 16, 18; Auckland Victoria Park bottleneck – SH 1; Waikato Expressway – SH1; Wellington Northern Corridor (Levin to Wellington) – SH 1 and also Christchurch motorway projects.
The Government expects these projects to be substantially progressed during the next decade.
'The Government is committed to ensuring New Zealand is as productive as we can be and that Kiwis spend less time stuck in traffic and more time growing the economy,” says Steven.