Govt hit up for Auckland motorway link

Auckland City wants the Government to pay up to an extra $36 million for a motorway link for Grafton gully.

The scheme to link Spaghetti Junction with the Port of Auckland by cutting a ditch to the west of Stanley St is favoured by residents, the council and Transit New Zealand over the spectre of a viaduct for the area.

Transit has said the national taxpayer-funded roading body, Transfund New Zealand, would not pay the extra and asked the council to go to Infrastructure Auckland for the difference.

But transport committee chairwoman Catherine Harland last night said it was crucial the highway was funded on a national basis "so we don't dig into the pockets of regional sources" of funding.

The council agreed and voted to lobby the Government to allow Transfund to finance the most popular option with residents.

Western Bays community board member Graeme Easte, who proposed the sunken highway, has disagreed with the costings and believes it could be built more cheaply.

Getting Auckland moving – a Herald series

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