Tunnel Approval Could Spark Capital Backlash
April 9th, 2009
The Govt’s approval of the Victoria Park motorway tunnel in Auckland could spark a further round of attacks and counter attacks between the Wellington region’s leaders and transport Minister Steven Joyce over roading budgets and affordability. The Capital’s leaders are still smarting at being unable to gain Central Govt funding for Transmission Gully motorway costed at about $50m a kilometre as officials claim the 25km highway is now too expensive at $1.3bn.
The cut and cover Victoria Park tunnel is costed at $430m which will buy a three-lane tunnel beneath the central city park just 440 metres long. The tunnel will be the region’s most expensive roading project so far and possibly the most expensive on a per kilometre basis ever built in NZ at about $977m per kilometre. This is almost 20 times the cost per kilometre of Transmission Gully and twice as expensive as the proposed Waterview motorway tunnels also now under threat due to concerns over their cost.
The tunnel is designed to double the capacity of the central Auckland section of SH1 leading towards Auckland Harbour Bridge. One lane will also be added in each direction to the motorway section between the park and the harbour bridge, giving it 10 traffic lanes and a southbound bus lane along St Marys Bay. Transport Minister, Steven Joyce, says construction of the “cut and cover” tunnel will start next January with NZ Transport Agency preparing to issue a formal request for expressions of interest by road-building contractors. Joyce is talking up the benefits of the Victoria Park project claiming it will greatly ease congestion for thousands of commuters each day.
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