Eastern Motorway plans revived

By BERNARD ORSMAN

The casting vote from Auckland City Mayor Christine Fletcher has set the ball rolling to revive plans to restart work on the four-lane Eastern Motorway, designed to relieve congestion on the Southern Motorway.

The council voted 11-6 two years ago to scrap plans for the Eastern Motorway. Pro-motorway councillor David Hay said the time had come for another vote on the controversial project.

"There only needs to be an accident on the Southern Motorway and the city is gridlocked," said Mr Hay.

Mr Hay put a notice of motion to last night's council meeting seeking support from Auckland City to restart work on the motorway - which would run from the Mt Wellington highway shadowing the rail line through the eastern suburbs and across Hobson Bay to the city.

Councillors voted 8-8 on the motion.

Councillor Maire Leadbeater said she believed Mrs Fletcher's casting vote - in favour of the motion - would not have been required if all councillors had been present at the meeting, and that the motion would not have passed.

Four councillors were absent last night.

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