Subscribe to RSSBig Trucks Stuff Up Bypass Build
Those longer heavier trucks are causing an unexpected headache for NZTA.
The roundabout designs in Taupo’s new $97 million bypass will not accommodate the longer vehicles soon to appear on roads.
The Waikato Times reported that one of the three bypass roundabouts was all but completed when a rethink was suddenly needed.
Still to be confirmed was whether alterations would see the roundabouts widened or the inner radius shrunk.
As part of the development, an 100-metre-long bridge base was put in place across the Waikato River, near Wairakei, at the end of january.
Reader Steve W spent a weekend in Taupo and filed these pictures of the development: (Thanks Steve for the timely photos)
Taupo Bypass development
Taupo Bypass looking at new Bridge Span over Waikato
Taupo Bypass looking at Wairakei
Taupo Bypass Prawn Farm shot from new road
8 Comments
Is that an arch bridge I see over the Waikato? Nice touch
Perhaps the answer for LTA would be to say sorry road not designed for long trucks and forbid them.
That would really stuff up long truck operations in the North Island.
There always have been legitimate over dimensional loads with escorts such as low loaders with bridge beams etc. so one would think LTA would have allowed for these anyway on Highway One?
Yes Matthew,
Cesar Roose would be proud
The bridge was put in place just before Easter. I’d have thought that the route chosen would be a little less obtrusive.
Those on about Joyce being Anti-rail should note, that to be fair all these projects were put in place by the previous government.
I personally hope that NZTA continue as per their current plans, and just say “no, no good for juggernauts, lose some weight”.
Expect to see this situation replicated at 1000 locations around NZ, our roads aren’t designed for 44 tonnes trucks let alone 53…
This is Steven Joyce’s most ill thought out plan. It will come back to bite him. Shall we wait for a) a major accident caused or involving a 53 tonne truck? b) Wait for next years rates to rise dramatically to pay for the repair costs of the roading network being damaged?
53 tonne trucks - Thanks Steven Joyce, the National Party and the Road Transport Forum. All taxpayers to subsidise trucks even more!
Why don’t we subsidise other businesses? Like chocolate makers or pizza companies? Why do we only subsidise the trucking mogals?? Why should we subsidise trucks?
Any individual accident can easily be downplayed until the media circus moves on. It would take a rash of accidents which are unlikely to happen.
And the road damage doesn’t happen overnight either. It is a gradual process, which will slowly accelerate, depending on how much this is taken up by the trucking industry. It won’t be sudden road armageddon - it will be a creeping deterioration, and in the future, we may have to subisize “only” another 10% road damage. Out of a multi-billion roading budget, who’s gonna notice a few extra hundred million?
Especially when all the locals will benefit so much from increased economic productivity. Whohoo, go Joyce!