Northland’s 95km long Mangakahia Road will receive more than $15 million worth of funding from the New Zealand Transport Agency which will see it become part of the state highway network.
According to the Northern Advocate, NZTA chief executive Geoff Dangerfield says the extra investment of $15 million recognises the impact of increased logging freight and also looks forward to preparing the region for other growth.
Its part of a $460 million roading works allocation which will also see $48 million to extend the Auckland to Northland motorway from Puhoi to Warkworth.
Kaikohe’s Mangakahia Road is expected to see more than 195 truckloads per day, or one truck every three minutes on average, and once re-designated into a state highway it will be taken over by NZTA who will manage the vital logging route.
Northland has seen an increased level of road funding from NZTA reflecting that the body has been given more by the Government and also the need for more preventative maintenance.
The 2015 – 18 road funding programme for Northland was allocated after back to back flooding in July 2014, which caused millions of dollars worth of road failures, including the massive collapse of State Highway One near Towai.
