The proposed "ANZAC Centenary Bridge"

The Sunday Star-Times reports a group of architects presenting at the Auckland Architecture week 2009 have proposed a design for a new harbour crossing:

In 2005 Richard Simpson first proposed the idea of a new harbour crossing – a bold new bridge that would take a more direct route between the city and the North Shore designed to accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, vehicular traffic and trains.  The design would be the result of an international design competition for a bridge that not only fulfills the functional requirements of connection, but that would also contribute to the identity of Auckland – the greater city and the Waitemata Harbour.  Integral to this initiative are economic and social benefits resulting in the creation of jobs for the construction of the bridge and the urban renewal of the freed-up land on both sides of the current bridge along with others associated with tourism and the creative industries.

The proposed bridge thankfully includes provision for public transport and cycling. The group has made their own case for a bridge over a tunnel under the harbour:

THE CASE FOR A BRIDGE

• Construction cost $2-3 billion compared to $3.7–$4.1b for the proposed tunnel
• Operating cost of 1/5 to 13 of a tunnel (based on ventilation, lighting, drainage and maintenance)
• About 350,000m2 of land valued at around $1b in St Mary’s Bay and Northcote Pt could be sold off after closure of bridge.
• Travel time and distance savings worth about $60 million a year (based on a bridge being 1.2km shorter than a tunnel)
• Estimated tourism benefits: $325 million a year (based on tourists staying an extra night)

Source: ANZAC Centenary Bridge Group

Former North Shore mayor George Wood has attacked what he calls a “veil of secrecy” over a future Waitemata Harbour Crossing project.

People who would be affected by the new crossing deserved to be treated far better, said Mr Wood, who was mayor from 1998 to 2007.

“NZ Transport Agency thinks it can push through this harbour crossing project on the basis it knows best and we will have to suffer what it offers,” Mr Wood told the North Shore City Council’s infrastructure and environment committee yesterday.

“The community must be told the impact of the crossing on North Shore’s arterial roads and potential adverse environmental, visual and ecological impacts.”

Consultants in a study last year for the former Transit NZ and Auckland councils recommended four tunnels – two for motorway traffic and two for trains – at a cost of $3.7 billion to $4.1 billion.

They recommended three-lane tunnels running 3.9km under the harbour for road traffic between Esmonde Rd in Takapuna and Spaghetti Junction in Newton, and single-track tubes for electric trains linking either Britomart or a proposed underground inner-city rail loop beneath Albert St.

Mr Wood said he had not seen one brochure setting out the broad outline of what the agency proposed.

“Public involvement should happen up front right at the start.”

Mr Wood said people of the North Shore had to lead the fight for progress on an alternative to the Auckland Harbour Bridge after a decade of doubt about the durability of the clip-ons.

A more vigorous approach would be to bring together key agencies in a project team, with a full-time project director and a funding stream from the government for initial planning and development.

Transport Agency regional director Wayne McDonald said North Shore City Council had been in a partnership of five agencies in the project to find a route. Information and plans were on the agency’s website.

No detailed design was done because the crossing could be several decades away.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce said he was seeking advice from the Transport Agency on whether the next harbour crossing should be added to the Government’s proposed 20-year national infrastructure plan.

This would be known by the end of this year.