It was obvious (after yesterday) that the government would end up choosing their “least bad” option for the Waterview Connection. The NZTA has released its prefered option, which involves a surface level motorway between where the Mt Roskill extension to SH20 ends and New North Road (going right through Alan Wood Reserve). The motorway will then go in a tunnel underneath New North Road and Avondale Heights (cut & cover tunnel I guess?) and then after that will run seemingly directly underneath Great North Road.
Clearly, this could be worse. It seems like Phyllis Street Reserve and the Oakley Waterfall are probably safe. However, Alan Wood Reserve will be gone, and replaced by up to a 6 lane motorway. Furthermore, building a motorway directly underneath the Waterview straight stretch of Great North Road. I’m no civil engineer, but I imagine building a motorway underneath one of Auckland’s busiest arterial routes might be a little problematic.
I also still can’t figure out how this proposal, which is supposedly 60% tunnelled, is $300 million cheaper than the “Open Cut” option that NZTA costed at $1.456 billion. Were NZTA just stupid in their original costings?
More info here: http://www.transit.govt.nz/projects/waterviewconnection/resources/pdf/Waterview%20presentation%2013%20May_1.pdf
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Given the difference in colour coding, it would appear it’s going to be a proper tunnel?!!?!!
Joshua, thanks heaps for this excellent website. I only started reading it a few weeks ago, and it is very informative, and you seem to know a lot about the issues Thanks for the time you spend on it.
Can I ask a few questions about the project.
When will it be built?
Is there going to be an interchange at New North Road? If not can it be added?
Why build the cut and cover option for Great north road when there is the Oakley Creek reserve next door (I actaully support building the road through local parks and homes if it saves money, and would prefer an entirely surface option)?
Also, when will the railway line from Avondale southwards (I guess Ohehunga) be built if ever?
Personally I think the Waterview connection is a waste of money that can be much better spent on Auckland rail, but if it is to built, it should be done using the cheapest possible option (even if this means going through peoples homes and parks), so there is the most money for rail and other projects left over at the end, so on balance pleased with the governments descison to axe the tunnel.
LG: Yes the part through Avondale Heights would appear to be a bored/driven tunnel, so therefore would not affect the property above it. (I guess).
Nicholas: Construction could start in around 2011 and take 4 years. I don’t think any intermediary interchanges will be built ever, as motorways are for A to Z travelling, not A to B. Oakley Creek is a regionally significant reserve with Auckland’s biggest waterfall, I’m glad they’re not building over it. Regarding the Avondale-Southdown rail link, I think whether or not it gets built (or when) depends upon freight traffic demands as it is never likely to be a hugely popular passenger route.
I also think it is important to ensure that projects are built to a good standard and not just the cheapest and nastiest option. We’ve moved on from the 1960s thank you very much.
Quote: “good standard and not just the cheapest and nastiest option”
This has never been National’s strongpoint here. Their philosophy is nasty, cheap materials and way overpriced to deliver state dollars to their mates.
Yes, I think Transit did a poor original investigation of the project before.
This road will be built to a high standard, there is no evidence for the doggerell comment of Chris, since most decisions on roads in New Zealand have been made by NZTA and its predecessors for a good 20 years. It was a World Bank regarded best practice way of funding and managing roads, and has ensured maintenance gets top priority and NZ roads are among the best maintained of any networks in the world (as politics doesn’t direct funding from essential maintenance).
My issue is priority, if only all road projects were re ranked by BCR then we might know whether it should be delayed further. Let’s see what traffic patterns emerge when the Hobsonville deviation is completed (the last section to be completed before Waterview).
Chris: It would seem that the $300 million savings between the “Open Cut” option and what the government is now proposing would be the money saved by going through Alan Wood Reserve.
Liberty: I think the Mt Roskill SH20 extension will have a bigger effect than Hobsonville. As many people have said the whole Western Ring Route is not really much of a better option than the SH1 corridor for travel from Albany to Manukau City – as it takes such a long way around.
I would agree that NZTA’s recent record for delivering projects on time and on budget is pretty good.
I somewhat agree about your BCR ideas, however I take issue with the way that BCRs are calculated, as they are enormously weighted towards roading projects (by using dodgy time-savings benefits) and away from public transport projects (by ignoring the positive effect that public transport projects have on land values).