News & Media Releases
Transit awards SH1 Cambridge Bypass design contract
30 March 2007
Transit New Zealand has today awarded the design contract for the State Highway 1 Cambridge Bypass to Opus International Consultants Ltd.
The contract award is part of Transit’s commitment signalled in its State Highway Forecast published last June to progress the preparation work for the Cambridge Bypass and have it ready for construction within 5 years.
Construction of the SH1 Cambridge Bypass was indicated in Transit’s 2006 10-Year State Highway Plan and Forecast as commencing within the next 5 to 10 years, subject to community consultation and ongoing agreement with the region and Land Transport New Zealand on a funding plan.
The Cambridge Bypass project has a long history and the route has been designated for over 30 years.
Transit Regional Manager Chris Allen says that the detailed design process will finetune the current designation and alignment by defining the exact land requirements for the bypass, and how it will connect to the surrounding roads.
Mr Allen says, “Transit will be working closely with Waipa and Waikato District Councils and all affected landowners to progress the design. This will provide certainty for all Cambridge residents and stakeholders regarding the specifics of the bypass route and its subsequent effects on the future development of Cambridge.”
The designated bypass route passes north of Cambridge township and will remove SH1 traffic from the confines of the town. Transit initially intends to build the bypass as a two-lane highway, with provision made for extending it to four lanes as future demand requires.
The Cambridge Bypass will be approximately 11km in length and is proposed to depart from SH1 just south of the Discombe Road/SH1 intersection. The route curves to the left and then runs roughly parallel with Hautapu Road until it meets with Victoria Road. It then begins a sweeping right-hand bend before straightening to pass near the Thornton Road and St Kilda Road intersection in a southeasterly direction. It crosses the 180m wide Karapiro Stream Gully on this general alignment, and then curves slightly to the left before it rejoins SH1 at the top of the rise just south of the Cambridge Golf Course.
The SH1 Cambridge Bypass is the southernmost section of the Waikato Expressway, which is the key strategic transport corridor for the Waikato region.
Transit recently opened the Mercer to Longswamp section of the Waikato Expressway and is currently undertaking further investigative work on the Rangiriri four-laning section. Transit is also working with Land Transport New Zealand on design funding for the Ngaruawahia Bypass.
The full design process for the Cambridge Bypass is expected to take two to three years.
For further information, contact:
Chris Allen
Regional Manager
Transit New Zealand
027 292 8072
Or
Julie Hannam
Communications Advisor
Transit New Zealand
Hamilton Regional Office
07 903 5146
027 294 2649
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