The Front Page: Would a bridge or tunnel be better for new North Shore harbour crossing?

Winds consistently affect the flow of traffic across the Harbour Bridge. Photo / Michael Craig

High winds this week once again closed Auckland’s Harbour Bridge in what is becoming a common occurrence.

Speaking to The Front Page podcast, NZ Herald senior writer Simon Wilson says interruptions of this nature are only likely to become more common due to the impact of climate change.

The latest concerns about the bridge come amid a long-running discussion about how the key transport route should be updated or replaced entirely. Over the years, there’s been no shortage of ideas put forward – some more audacious than others.

“It’s extraordinary,” says Wilson.

“A few years ago, Waka Kotahi [New Zealand Transport Agency] announced it had identified 160 different options for how a new harbour crossing might be established. That was perhaps a little bit fanciful, making up ones that no one was advocating for, but nevertheless, it gives an idea of the scale of what’s possible.”

Fortunately, that comprehensive list of possibilities has been whittled down to five options, which the Government announced in March would be going out for consultation.

The plan now is to start the project by the end of this decade.

Wilson says much of the debate will now come down to whether Auckland should build a tunnel or another bridge.

“It partly boils down to efficiency,” says Wilson.

“If you have a tunnel, then obviously you’re not going to close it when there are high winds. And if winds are getting worse, then that makes it a more secure route. Though, there could of course be flooding issues, so it’s a little hard to know what guarantees there are around that.”

The other big catch is that tunnels are far more expensive to build than bridges.

“A bridge is much easier and cheaper to build,” says Wilson.

“And it affords people the opportunity to see the magnificent views while they’re travelling across the harbour... There are several people who have proposed very cheap bridge options, and yet Waka Kotahi has consistently been more focused on tunnels. Three of its four options involve tunnels, which is a surprise. It suggests they’re not really taking the non-tunnel option seriously. And it’s not entirely clear why.”

• So, which option is the most likely to go ahead?
• How could the existing bridge be improved in the meantime?
• Is the Government likely to project off the ground by the end of the decade?
• And why does there seem to be decision paralysis when it comes to big projects?

Listen to the full episode of The Front Page podcast to hear a full discussion on this issue.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. It is presented by Damien Venuto, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in business reporting who joined the Herald in 2017.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.