NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is seeking feedback on a proposal to toll the new Ōtaki to north of Levin highway to support activities associated with the planning, design, supervision, construction, maintenance and operation of the new highway.
Consultation closes 5pm, Monday 7 October 2024.
Tell us what you think - online survey(external link)
Tolling for Ō2NL
NZTA is seeking feedback on tolling the southern 15km of Ōtaki to north of Levin (Ō2NL), from the on/off ramps at Taylors Road (southern half interchange) to the Tararua Road interchange. The northern 9km of the new highway would not be tolled.
For the tolled section of the new highway the prices being consulted on are $2.70 for light vehicles and $5.40 for heavy vehicles and would be the same rate 24-hours a day.
The tolling prices were identified by comparing a range of options to find the tolling scheme that balances revenue with the level of diversion back to the old state highway.
Toll prices
|
Section |
Light vehicles |
Heavy vehicles (Over 3500kg gross vehicle mass) |
|
Southern half interchange to Tararua Road interchange |
$2.70 |
$5.40 |
|
Tararua Road interchange to northern end of Ō2NL |
No toll |
No toll |
The toll prices being consulted on are in 2024 dollars. The opening of the new Ō2NL highway is more than 5 years away, and factors including Consumer Price Index increases between now and road opening could affect the actual price at the time of the road opening.
Supporting growth and efficiency in the region
The 24km new Ō2NL highway will improve reliability, safety and efficiency for those moving around or through the Horowhenua District and lower North Island and will increase transport choices for the area’s growing population.
The new highway is expected to reduce travel times. Without the new highway, evening peak trips in 2039 on the current highway from Ōtaki to north of Levin are expected to take 32-33 minutes, compared to 17-21 minutes for trips on the new highway. In 2039, trips from Ōtaki to Levin town on the current highway are expected to take 23 minutes if Ō2NL isn’t built, compared to 17 minutes on the new highway.
The more reliable and resilient new highway will enable travellers to better plan their travel and become more efficient. This is particularly important for freight and logistics companies on the critical Wellington to Palmerston North link. The new high quality Ō2NL highway is being designed to modern safety standards and will have a KiwiRAP (Road Assessment Programme) rating of 4 or more on the 5-star safety rating. The Crown funded highway project is one of the original Roads of National Significance.
Assessing Ō2NL as a tolled road
Every time a new state highway is built in New Zealand, NZTA carries out an assessment to see if it meets the criteria to be tolled.
Tolling provides an opportunity for an additional source of revenue, supporting faster delivery of infrastructure, providing safer and more efficient routes, and protecting the existing funding in the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF). NZTA will consider tolling of all new roads as outlined in the Government Policy Statement for land transport 2024 (GPS 2024).
The Land Transport Management Act 2003 allows a toll to be established, as a mechanism for funding road infrastructure projects and sets out the process required.
The Land Transport Management Act 2003(external link)
Tolling assessments are designed to analyse tolling feasibility, including how a potential toll road might interact with the wider transport network.
NZTA has assessed Ō2NL’s suitability as a tolled road and is now seeking public feedback on a tolling scheme.
Tolling to support the new highway
Tolling revenue could fund maintenance and operations of the new Ō2NL highway, which will be a significant cost over the life of the road. This would ensure the road continues to be safe and resilient without additional pressure on the NLTF.
While construction of the new Ō2NL highway is Crown funded, tolling revenue could also provide the ability to top up funding if costs were to change.
Availability of alternative routes
All toll roads in New Zealand are required to have a feasible, untolled, alternative route available to road users. In the case of Ō2NL, the current SH1/SH57 would provide an untolled alternative.
Implementing a toll on the new highway could result in some drivers who may have travelled on Ō2NL choosing instead to stay on existing roads. Modelling shows when the road opens a tolled Ō2NL could result in approximately half of the traffic expected on the southern section of the new highway instead continuing to use the existing roads or choosing other options. The existing SH1 would still see a considerable drop in vehicle numbers once the new highway opens. South of Ohau in 2029, traffic would reduce by 38% compared to if Ō2NL was not built.
In terms of traffic volumes, without the new highway modelling shows the existing SH1 south of Ohau would be expected to have 23,100 vehicles per day in 2029. This would drop to 14,300 per day with a tolled Ō2NL highway. Without tolling on the new highway, vehicle numbers would be expected to drop to 5,400 per day at the same location.
If the southern section of Ō2NL was tolled, this would also affect the amount of traffic that continues to use the existing SH1 through Levin town centre. The existing SH1 through the town centre would still see a drop in vehicle numbers once the new highway opens. Modelling shows that in 2029, traffic would reduce by 17% compared to if Ō2NL was not built.
The existing SH1 through Levin town centre would be expected to have 14,100 vehicles per day in 2029, without the new highway. This would drop to 11,700 per day with a tolled Ō2NL highway. Without tolling on the new highway, vehicle numbers would be expected to drop to 8,400 per day at the same location.
Long term, other tolling sites around the country have seen more traffic move from local routes to the tolled routes over time as the benefits of the new road become clear.
Next steps
Following the consultation period, we will provide an engagement report on our webpage so you can see public feedback.
All submissions and feedback collected via the public consultation will be summarised to the Minister of Transport. This will provide insights into the level of community support for the tolling scheme in the region.
The NZTA Board will consider the results of the consultation, and the Board may then recommend tolling to the Minister of Transport. The final decision on whether or not to toll each road rests with Cabinet on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport.
How does tolling work?
Find out how tolling and electronic payment works:
Tolling assessment
Tolling proposals are assessed against a number of criteria before progressing to public consultation:
