Well the wait seems largely over, although tomorrow we will find out some more details. I shall quote the press release in full:
Affordable options available for Waterview Connection Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the NZ Transport Agency has identified more cost-effective options for the completion of Auckland’s Western Ring Route, meaning the previous government’s expensive debt-funded twin tunnel option will not go ahead.In January the Minister asked officials to investigate alternative options for building the Waterview Connection after a business case prepared for the previous government released in December showed the total cost of the project would be $2.77 billion.The $2.77 billion figure was made up of $1.98 billion for construction of the tunnels, $240 million for associated work on State Highway 16 and $550 million for finance costs during the project construction period.”The NZ Transport Agency has reviewed all options and has found that the Waterview Connection, together with the same amount of associated work on State Highway 16, can be built for considerably less, at an expected cost of between $1 billion and $1.4 billion, depending which of the options is taken,” says Mr Joyce.
“Given these numbers and the increased government commitment to state highway investment through the National Land Transport Fund, the government now anticipates the Waterview project being built using the fund. This means it won’t be financed by borrowing, as envisaged by the previous government.
“In addition, all of the options being considered by the NZ Transport Agency would be built with wide enough shoulders to allow for easy widening to three lanes in each direction.
“An appropriate comparison, therefore, is between the top cost of $1.4 billion and the $3.16 billion price of the previous government’s twin three lane tunnel option.
“The NZ Transport Agency’s Board is meeting today to consider the three alternative options and will announce its preference tomorrow, once it has had the opportunity to make first contact with those directly affected.
“A thorough consultation process on the form of the selected option will then commence before a final decision is made.”
Mr Joyce says he is sorry the people of Waterview face further uncertainty while the design of the road is decided.
“I am working with the NZ Transport Agency to provide certainty as soon as possible.
“My preference is for a Waterview Connection that can be delivered at a fair price to the country with minimal ongoing impact on the community.”
The Waterview Connection is part of one of the seven Roads of National Significance the government has singled out as essential routes that require priority treatment. It is the last link to complete the Western Ring Route, linking Manukau, Auckland, Waitakere and North Shore while bypassing State highway 1 and the Auckland Harbour Bridge.
Given that the $290 million upgrade of SH16 is INCLUDED in this price of $1-1.4 billion, it means that we have somewhere between $710 million and $1.11 billion left for the cost of the motorway. Given that the NZTA had costed a four-lane “Open Cut” option at $1.456 billion for construction alone, it really makes me wonder where these extra savings are being found. The $1.456 billion open cut option I suspect would have placed the motorway in some sort of trench, so that the noise & visual effects of it were lessened. That was the cheapest and nastiest option that NZTA were previously considering, but obviously Joyce wanted them to go cheaper and nastier so we have something cheaper and nastier. Will they just bulldoze the Oakley Creek waterfall rather than going around it? Will they just bulldoze through more houses rather than tunnelling under (or going over) the New North Road pinch point?
You can’t just get more for less, there has to be a cost. And I am certain that will be the social and environmental costs of this choice.
The map below shows the options now, with the blue line showing a potential more southerly route. Lots of property affected, lots of parkland affected….
Update: more information is available in an NZ Herald article. Of particular interest are a couple of things:
- Mr Joyce said the path of the three different routes were different, but they all broadly followed the current Waterview alignment. Mr Joyce said the lowest cost option was all above ground and the other two options had varying levels of “undergrounding, either by tunnelling or using cut and cover methods”.
- The consent process would be fast tracked and limited to nine months.
The first is potentially good news, although I can’t imagine you get much tunnel for $1.1 billion. The second is terrible news, as fast-tracking always means taking away the right of someone to have their voice heard.
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Could NZTA simply say that the money available makes the project unaffordable at this time? Or are they obliged to commence work?
One question – where the tunnels were going to go under Anderson Park and miss the Alan Wood reserve, is the surface option actually designed to head up that reserve? Along the possible rail corridor?
The tunnel started just west of Richardson Road in the previous proposal, so missed Alan Wood. The surface option will definitely go through it.
Regarding commencement, NZTA need to start designing the thing and preparing a completely new set of planning documents. I suspect they might be ready to lodge the Notice of Requirement for it in about a year.
I don’t live in Auckland, and have never visited the waterview area, so don’t know too much about this project. Where exactly is the Oakley creek waterfall, and how spectacular is it?
Also, have you seen this post http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2009/05/strapped-chicken.html indicating part of the reduced cost is the $550 million gone from covering the debt, so the news might not be as bad as you think.
I have costed that Nicholas.
Assuming that the government goes with the $1.4 billion option that’s still $1.4 billion less than the tunnel option. It’s also still $800 million less than the open cut option. Sure, $550 million is removed by not including finance costs, but that’s still a lot less to be spent on construction, which means a cheaper and nastier option.
You just can’t get more for less. It will be the enviornment and the community that pays for this “saving”.