Work category 324: Road improvements

Introduction

This work category provides for:

• improvements to or upgrading of existing roads within the existing or widened road reserve, and
• deviations onto a new road reserve, where the original road is closed, including any associated new road structures.

This definition applies to the 2012-15 NLTP.  For the 2015-18 NLTP please refer to the updated definition for work category 324.

Examples of qualifying activities

Examples of qualifying activities include, but may not be limited to:

• road realignment, re-grading or widening, including seal widening
• improvements to intersections, passing lanes and black-spots
• approaches to bridge replacements costing in excess of $50,000
• retaining structures, culverts and replacement cattle stop
• all traffic signs, pavement markings, traffic signals, lighting (including under-grounding), etc, necessary to bring the improved facility into service
• reinstatement of footpaths and vehicular crossings that are part of the improvement project (reinstatement is to be to the original standards only – no additional improvements are eligible for funding assistance)
• discharge of street water by means of pipes or open drains into natural watercourses, where no artificial drainage system exists, or into artificial drainage systems (sumps, mains or open drains), on, adjacent to or across from the road, and
• for local road projects property purchase costs less than $50,000.

Other potential activities not shown above should be discussed with the NZTA for eligibility.  Note that any application for improvements which increases the level of service (e.g. pavement smoothing) must provide evidence of substantive benefits.

Exclusions

Exclusions include:

• A new cattle stop where none previously existed – this is not eligible for funding assistance,
• Pavement rehabilitations due to high maintenance costs - these are funded under work category 214: Sealed road pavement rehabilitation
• Traffic services renewals – these are funded under Work category 222: Traffic services renewals.

Funding assistance rate

The usual funding assistance rate for this work category is:

• the Approved Organisation’s  construction rate,
• Special Purpose Roads - the Approved Organisation's special purpose roads construction rate, and
• 100 percent for the NZTA (state highways).

End of year carryover

Transport Investment Online (TIO) will automatically carryover the unspent allocation every year.  Therefore it is vital that Approved Organisations and the NZTA (State Highways) declare the unused allocation for completed projects by making a cost-scope adjustment via the Reviews module in TIO.

NB A future upgrade to TIO will allow the project to be marked as completed.