2014 Too Far Out for Victoria Park Tunnel

Media release, 21 September 2005

The NZ Council for Infrastructure Development is pleased to see testing started on the proposed tunnel under Victoria Park but says the planned start in 2008 and completion by 2014 is simply too far off.

"The existing viaduct across Victoria Park is a major bottle neck for SH1 and the motorway network, NZCID CEO Stephen Selwood says.

"Each day, northbound traffic is backed up on the Southern Motorway in the afternoons from as early as 3.00 o'clock and remains heavily congested most days until 7.00pm.

"Much of this is due to the lack of capacity across the viaduct which ripples right down the network.

"We see no reason why the Victoria Park cut and cover tunnel should take three years to start and six years to build.

"Much larger projects in Sydney and Melbourne are being completed in far less time (see attached table).

"Australia's largest roading project, the $2.5 billion 40km ConnectEast freeway in Melbourne started construction earlier this year. It had a one year consents process and is due to open in 2008, the same year Auckland's Victoria Park project is planned to begin.

"We cannot understand why it will take three years to even start the project, especially when Transit are planning to build a cut and cover tunnel within the existing motorway designation.

"The St Mary's Bay Association is generally supportive, subject to protection of the cliffs, which is entirely understandable. Auckland City considers it a priority, as do North Shore City, and the ARC is ready to consider environmental consents.

'What's needed is for all of the parties to get around the table and agree the means to advance the project for completion by 2010, at the latest," Selwood says.

Major Urban Tolls Roads in Australia Built in Much Shorter Time Frames

Project -- Length -- km -- A$m Value -- Start -- Finish

Sydney M4 -- 12.5 -- 246 -- 1988 -- 1992

Sydney M5 -- 21.0 -- 380 -- 1988 -- 1992

Sydney Harbour Tunnel -- 3.0 -- 685 -- 1988 -- 1992

Sydney M2 -- 20.0 -- 644 -- 1994 -- 1997

Sydney Eastern Distributor -- 6.0 -- 700 -- 1997 -- 1999

Sydney Cross City Tunnel -- 2.1 -- 680 -- 2000 -- 2005

Sydney Westlink M7 -- 40.0 -- 1,500 -- 2002 -- 2006

Sydney Lane Cove Tunnel -- 3.6 -- 1,100 -- 2002 -- 2007

Melbourne City Link -- 22.0 -- 1,780 -- 1996 -- 2000

Melbourne Connect East -- 40.0 -- 2,500 -- 2005 -- 2008

Total -- 170.2 -- $A10,215

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