Blessing for City Rail Link project

The Downtown shopping centre is to be redeveloped and City Rail Link built underground. Photo / Michael Craig

Early work for the $2.5 billion City Rail Link project started today with a dawn blessing of the work site.

About 80 people gathered on the corner of Victoria and Albert streets in central Auckland as kaumatua blessed the site.

Mayor Len Brown said it was a day that Aucklanders have been contemplating for almost a century.

"In 1923 Railways Minister Gordon Coates gave his support for a city-to-Morningside underground rail line that never happened. In the 1970s, Mayor Sir Dove-Myer Robinson's rapid-rail proposal met a similar fate.

"Today's blessing means that in the coming months, Aucklanders will see the CRL starting to take shape."

CRL project director Chris Meale said the start of work was a milestone for Auckland Transport (AT) and the project team.

"Today was a celebration, but for most Aucklanders the first piece of work will be largely invisible. A replacement stormwater pipe will be built under Albert St so that the existing one can be removed when work on the CRL tunnels starts in the middle of next year."

Mr Meale said people will have to start thinking about how they travel to and through the city when faced with disruption.

"Public transport or active modes will be wisest but for those who don't have that option, using parking buildings closest to city entry points will be sensible rather than driving through the city."