KEY POINTS:
Banning trucks from the outside lanes of the harbour bridge to prolong its life has increased calls for Transit to hurry up and build another harbour crossing.
Nationals MP Dr Wayne Mapp and Dr Jonathan Coleman yesterday joined Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard for Transit to get moving on options for Auckland's transport lifeline.
Dr Mapp, the MP for North Shore, said the "fatigue stress" to the clip-ons was a clear signal for Transit to get moving on options for a second crossing.
He favoured a tunnel from the old toll plaza on the northern side to the tank farm at Wynyard Wharf.
Dr Coleman, the MP for Northcote, said Transit had been working on options for several years and it was time it gave the public certainty on its preferred option.
"Projections are for phenomenal growth north of the bridge over the next couple of decades, and with the bridge already at capacity, we will be facing huge gridlock if we don't start now," Dr Coleman said.
It is nearly four years since Transit proposed a new bridge to the west of the harbour bridge or a tunnel to the east costing $3 billion, saying it would take up to 16 years to plan for and construct a new harbour crossing.
Transit regional manager Peter Spies last night said that since 2003 Transit had acted on a request from the regional land transport committee to lead a project team to protect such a crossing. Local councils had made it clear a tunnel was preferred.
Mr Spies said the investigation of the tunnel was under way and over the next few months "we would expect to be able to have more dialogue with our key stakeholders as we proceed toward the route protection requested by the regional land transport committee".
Transit is moving immediately to stop trucks using the outside lanes to make the bridge last longer.
Buses are not included in the ban, which will apply to any vehicle heavier than 4.5 tonnes - essentially anything that looks like a truck.
Truck companies have been asked to stay off the outside lanes, although it will take about two months to amend a bylaw enforcing the restriction.
On Thursday, Transit chief executive Rick van Barneveld said Transit was not keeping any problems with the bridge from the public.
He said trucks caused "fatigue stress" to the clip-ons, and reducing that would mean the additions would last at least a further 40 years. He believed the main bridge structure was sound.
"Nothing would have happened to the bridge. It was just going to keep costing us more and more in maintenance."
National Road Carriers executive director Bruce Reid said the ban was further evidence of the need to accelerate the completion of the western ring route to provide an alternative route north and south.
Growing pains
* 4 million: Estimated number of vehicles expected to cross the bridge when it opened in 1959
* 60 million: Vehicles now cross annually
* $5 million: Yearly maintenance costs
