Otago land transport committee chairman Stephen Woodhead said the proposed land transport programme recognised probable constraints on central and local government funding and focused on "maintaining, protecting and making the best use" of the existing transport network.
About $425 million of the work qualifies for government subsidy. and the region's five territorial local authorities propose undertaking $35 million of work without the subsidy.
The draft regional transport plan, considered by the Otago regional transport committee this week, proposes spending $51 million (9.6%) less than projected for the previous three-year plan, for 2009-12.
However, the amount which would be actually spent in the 2009-12 period would be "significantly less" than earlier projected, the draft plan noted.
Projected spending on new infrastructure for local roads and state highways had decreased 33% from the earlier plan, but projected spending for maintenance and operations for roads and state highways was up by 3%.
The draft programme is to be notified for public consultation on March 31 and public hearings are tentatively planned for the week starting May 14.
The plan noted that, given the region's "poor performance" in respect of road accident statistics during the previous three years, almost all the proposed projects sought to highlight aspects of road safety, including education, driver information, improving intersections and road sections that were accident hotspots, and increased safety and efficiency for tourism and the passage of freight.
Several proposed improvement projects would cost $3 million or more each during 2012-15:
• State Highway 85, completing the walk/cycle route to Port Chalmers: $5.9 million.
• Otago Peninsula roading, Dunedin, improvements to the Harington Point Rd for walking, cycling and sea-wall renewal: $3.2 million.
• Frankton Flats link roads between the new state highway roundabout and Glenda Dr, Queenstown, $3.4 million.
• State highway safety retrofits across Otago: $3 million.
• Improvements to the Invercargill to Queenstown to Christchurch highways to accommodate longer and heavier trucks: $3.4 million.
Projects to improve the region's bridges include:
• Investigation, design and construction of the Beaumont bridge (2014)
• Strengthening of the Clydevale bridge (2012-13)
The committee, which includes representatives of the region's five territorial local authorities, has been preparing the programme on behalf of the Otago Regional Council.
