Ask Phoebe: City onramp closures catch out late-night workers

I and several colleagues were caught out recently while travelling home to the North Shore from the city late on Sunday night. Access to the Harbour Bridge was nigh on impossible; the Curran St onramp was closed, Franklin Rd was closed for the Birdcage move, and Fanshawe St was closed for prep work on the Vic Park Tunnel. The only bridge access was from Cook St, which was of course totally jammed.

How could the authorities allow this to happen? And, more importantly, is it going to be a regular thing? D. H., Birkenhead.

Ah. Woops. The Transport Agency apologises for any inconvenience that night, and says it does not anticipate anything like it happening again. It was a case of left hand unacquainted with right hand: the two central city onramps were closed for necessary but unrelated work on the Harbour Bridge and the Victoria Park Tunnel project, and matters were exacerbated by heavier than normal traffic after a concert in South Auckland. NZTA tries to close onramps at night, which doesn't always help those who work evenings.

What are the barge and drilling equipment currently anchored near Motu Manawa Reserve up to? They are just offshore next to the causeway between Waterview and Rosebank offramps on the Northwestern Motorway. (I think the Herald recently named this area 'Waterview Bay', which is rather nice.)

Are they measuring the water table, dredging, or perhaps drilling for oil as part of the Government's opening of our mineral reserve? Simon Cooper, Waterview.

Britain has North Sea oil, we have Waterview Bay oil... if only.

In fact, as we know, the causeway tends to flood during king tides. It has been gradually sinking over the past 50 years or so, and needs to be raised about half a metre. The Transport Agency is using the equipment to drill boreholes along this section of the motorway, to assess soil strata, as part of the preparation for the causeway work.

The project includes the building of an extra lane in each direction, upgrading the cycleway, and providing filtration for stormwater before it gets into the harbour. It's all part of the long-awaited Western Ring Route. And be warned - the next king tide is expected next week, when the cycleway should be avoided.

Who places the flowers and wreaths regularly at the top of One Tree Hill, on Sir John Logan Campbell's grave? T. M., Remuera.

Not the council, says the council. Michael Ayrton, director of the Cornwall Park Trust, says that from time to time the trust board places flowers on the grave, most notably on the anniversary of Sir John's death on June 22, 1912. Mr Ayrton also says it is not uncommon for members of the public to place flowers on the grave, often weekly, perhaps as a measure of appreciation for his gift of Cornwall Park to the people of Auckland.