The NZ Transport Agency has announced today that it will not be proceeding with a full interchange at Peka Peka. The concept of an interchange was being investigated to improve access to and from the Kāpiti Expressway in the section between Peka Peka and Ōtaki.
“We understand that many in the Peka Peka community will be disappointed, however we have had to weigh up the estimated cost of between $22 million and $29 million to build a full interchange against the many other transport priorities across the country,” Transport Agency Director of Regional Relationships Emma Speight says.
The decision not to proceed was made following a review of the project, which found that it does not align with the priorities in the Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport. The GPS commits to four clear priorities: a safer transport network free of death and injury, accessible and affordable transport, reduced emissions, and value for money.
The area that would potentially utilise a full interchange is relatively lightly populated and does not generate a large number of vehicle movements. There are no indications that there will be significant population growth in the near future.
“Through our investigations, we have found that any safety concerns in the area will be addressed by the Peka Peka to Ōtaki (PP2O) Expressway, which will lower traffic volumes on Peka Peka Road,” Ms Speight says.
“The travel times for Peka Peka and Te Horo residents to access an expressway ramp will be between three to nine minutes after the PP2O project is complete. This is similar to the range of expressway ramp access times in other locations in Kāpiti.
“In particular, building a full interchange at Peka Peka does not reflect our priority to ensure that we get value for money. Building the interchange would mean not being able to undertake other transport projects around the country that might have larger benefits.”
The Transport Agency will continue to work with the Kāpiti Coast District Council to monitor population growth, traffic growth and network performance.
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