$3b plan for new harbour crossing

By STUART DYE AND SCOTT MacLEOD

A third harbour crossing to link Auckland City with the North Shore will cost more than $3 billion and take 16 years to build.

Transit New Zealand yesterday unveiled its preferred options for a new crossing after a year-long study.

It said a new bridge could be built 500m west of the existing harbour bridge, or a tunnel could go under the harbour to the east.

The options were presented to the Auckland Regional Council's transport committee yesterday.

The proposed bridge would have six main lanes, two of them dedicated passenger transport lanes that could accommodate either buses or trains.

It would also have walking and cycling lanes.

On the North Shore, a viaduct and a short tunnel would connect the Northern Motorway and the bridge at Northcote Pt.

At the Pt Erin southern end, the bridge would link to a tunnel running under Ponsonby to the Northwestern Motorway at Western Springs.

The harbour tunnel would be an immersed tube between the Northern Motorway east of the present harbour bridge and Wynyard Wharf.

It would link with cut-and-cover tunnels southbound to Halsey St and northbound to Beaumont St.

Another connection to the central motorway junction is also proposed.

The tunnel would cater for public transport, but would not have walking and cycling lanes.

A Transit report concedes that either crossing would have a significant effect on the areas around each end of them.

But regional manager Wayne McDonald said the study investigated only the feasibility of construction and took no account of social, environmental and economic effects.

These would be looked at when the ARC transport committee decided which option to pursue or whether to seek more information.

"At that point we will be consulting widely with the public and key stakeholders to incorporate their needs, suggestions and concerns," he said

The proposals do not incorporate Auckland Mayor John Banks' idea of a crossing at Mechanics Bay linked to the planned eastern highway.



Mr McDonald said the bridge crossing was chosen as having the least impact on Northcote Pt and being the easiest to build.

The tunnel option was favoured because of its road network and public transport connections.

Transit will prepare a further report covering the effect of the two schemes on traffic, and their economic, social and environmental effects.

A provisional timetable suggests planning would take five years and design and construction up to 11 years.

Automobile Association spokesman Stephen Selwood said he gained the impression from the meeting that the eastern tunnel was preferred.

It was better able to shift traffic into the port area and from the North Shore to Auckland's central business district.

The chairwoman of the ARC transport committee, Catherine Harland, said yesterday's presentation was the first time she had seen the proposals and it was too early to say which option was best.

"There's quite a lot more work to be done."