Transport Minister Simeon Brown says the seven new roads of significance, which are being fast-tracked, may be tolled to help pay for them.

On Friday, it was announced NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi  expects to start procurement and construction on the seven roads within the next three years.

The projects are Belfast to Pegasus (including the Woodend Bypass), the Hawke’s Bay Expressway, SH1 Cambridge to Piarere, State Highway 29 Tauriko, Takitimu North Link Stage 2, Mill Road, and Warkworth to Wellsford.

Brown says the timeframes for completion and final cost are not yet known, but NZTA will have more information by the end of September.

“We need to pay for the roads, and we need to raise the revenue to be able to pay for it. Tolling is a great way to bring forward that investment.

“So where NZTA recommends a toll, we will support tolling of that infrastructure to pay for it. It is a user-pays approach.”

Brown made the announcement at the entry to the town of Pegasus on the outskirts of Christchurch.

A number of the projects, including the Belfast to Pegasus/Woodend Bypass, have already had a lot of work done on them before they were stopped by the Labour Government, he says.

NZTA system design regional manager Richard Osbourne says the first step for the Belfast to Pegasus project is for  them to dust off the scheme plans done 10 years ago and do a scope confirmation exercise.

They will be in touch with people impacted by the planned new road very soon, Osbourne says.

The area around Pegasus has changed a lot in the past 10 years, with a number of new housing and commercial developments, so they will need to look at what changes are needed.

Woodend Bakery owner Serey Chum says the bypass will probably impact his business, but he's confident residents will continue to support them.

He's happy that a bypass will probably help avoid traffic jams and reduce accidents.

Woodend Store owner Krishna Barot also expects the change will impact on their business, which they only recently purchased.

But she says the project will probably be positive for residents who are having trouble with the traffic congestion.

-RNZ.