A high-tech electronic gantry using up to 16 cameras to allocate tolls has been installed on Tauranga's Route K as a new era of payments is ushered in.

The electronic gantry, installed overnight, is the second of its kind to be installed on New Zealand roads, with an identical toll point already in place on the Tauranga Eastern Link.

The new toll gantry was installed overnight. Photos: Bruce Barnard.

The new Route K toll gantry will become operational by August 2015, when the New Zealand Transport Agency takes over ownership of the road from Tauranga City Council in July.

The move sees all but $1m of the $63m debt associated with the bypass removed from the city's books.

NZTA's Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional director Harry Wilson says the new electronic toll point will use the latest optical character recognition technology to capture images of front and rear registration plates of each vehicle as people travel through.

'The gantry has 16 cameras,” says Harry, 'which will read the registration plates and determine the size of the vehicle and whether it is a motorcycle, car, truck, or bus so the correct toll can be assigned.

'There will be no need for toll booths, allowing drivers to travel straight through. This will reduce travel times and provide a more predictable journey. '

In preparation for the change, NZTA is upgrading the back-end tolling system, offering customers a range of ways to pay their tolls after July.

'Peoplewill be able to set up a pre-pay account,” he adds, 'or pay as they go either online, through the 0800 number or at selected service stations.”

'One account will cover all three toll roads, Route K, the TEL and the Northern Gateway Toll Road, north of Auckland. Those who have already set up an account for the Northern Gateway Toll Road will have their details transferred over automatically.”

Road users will continue to pay their toll to council at the existing toll booths until the electronic gantry goes live in July and the toll booths are removed.

Council's Route K account holders will be given instructions on how to set up a new account with the Transport Agency in May, some two months before the new toll point is commissioned.

The Route K toll tariff will be $1.80 and $4.80 once electronic tolling is commissioned. The toll tariff was reassessed against the other two toll roads and the benefits and value that the roads present to users.

Harry says after the ownership transfer, Route K will be added to the state highway network, completing the national strategic freight route to the Port of Tauranga.

'Tauranga City Council and the Transport Agency recognise that Route K provides a strategic connection between State Highway 29 and the Port of Tauranga,” he says, 'and have been working collaboratively since 2011 to change Route K from a local road to a state highway.

'The road will be added to the state highway network, becoming the tolled section of State Highway 29.”

Coinciding with the announcement, Tauranga City Council outlined the last day for buying a Route K QuicK Card will be this Friday.

QuicK Cards, used by some customers to pay tolls on Route K are being phased out in advance of the changeover to electronic tolling.

Route K users with QuicK Cards are encouraged to use the remaining balance prior to the launch of the new technology.

For other toll road users, existing imprest and fleet accounts remain operational until electronic tolling starts. However, no new imprest or fleet accounts are being opened.