A Second Harbour Crossing

Supporting Info for “The Long Way Home” AS 2.6

Interest Groups

Background

• With the clip-on section needing repairs and the traffic management in place, the Harbour Bridge is experiencing severe congestion during rush hours, which will only get worse as North Shore City grows and Auckland City becomes more densely settled

• Therefore, there is growing pressure for another harbour crossing.

• Many have also noted that reliance on a single crossing (which might experience failure via an earthquake or other disaster) is not in the interests of either Auckland or New Zealand

So what is being done ?• A regional study into a route for a potential

additional Waitemata Harbour crossing has proposed a shortlist of options for further investigation.

• The shortlist will be considered by the study partners Auckland City Council, Auckland Regional Council, Auckland Regional Transport Authority, North Shore City Council and Transit New Zealand who are working together

• The next phase of the study aims to narrow the shortlist to a single, preferred option. This will enable the region to protect a route while progressing development plans for the waterfront.

Issues shaping the project

• Supporting planned growth in the region • Providing more transport options across the harbour for

passenger transport, cycling and walking • The need to identify and protect a corridor for an

additional crossing, particularly in view of the development planned for Auckland’s waterfront

• Creating an additional strategic option to the Auckland Harbour Bridge, which is already carrying more than 160,000 vehicles per day (nearly 60 million vehicles a year)

• Managing traffic flow between the North Shore and Auckland

• The need to provide certainty for communities who may be affected by another crossing.

The options are:

Option One

• Esmonde to Britomart• Passenger transport only, in a new tunnel or on

a new bridge between Esmonde and Britomart, with possible connections at Onewa and Wynyard.

• General traffic on the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge

• Walking and cycling on either a new bridge or the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge (with appropriate modifications to the existing bridge.)

Option Two

• Esmonde to Britomart and SH1• Passenger transport in either a new tunnel or new bridge

across the harbour, with tunnels to landside connections between Esmonde and Britomart. Possible connections at Onewa and Wynyard.

• General traffic in either a new tunnel or new bridge (as well as on the existing bridge) with tunnels to landside connections between Esmonde and SH16 at either Wellington Street (Port and Westbound) or Newton (Westbound only). Possible connections at Onewa and Wynyard.

• Walking and cycling on either a new bridge or the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge (with appropriate modifications to the existing bridge.)

Option Three

• Esmonde to Britomart and Grafton • Passenger transport in a new tunnel between

Esmonde and Britomart with a possible connection at Onewa

• General traffic in a new tunnel between Esmonde and Grafton (as well as on the existing bridge) with a possible connection at Onewa.

• Walking and cycling on the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge (with appropriate modifications to the existing bridge.)

Shortlist

• This shortlist was developed from an original list of some 159 options, taken from all the major investigations that have been carried out since 1997, plus other options identified by the study partners and suggestions made by members of the public.

• The study team, including representatives of each project partner, worked together to evaluate each option against the objective of delivering integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable cross harbour travel between the North Shore and the isthmus to support the planned growth of the Auckland region. All transport types were considered including bus, rail, heavy vehicles, cars, cyclists and pedestrian access.

Objectives

• The short listed options, which are now going back to the partner organisations for consideration, are those that best met the objectives of:

• Economic development and regional growth in line with the Regional Growth Strategy

• Connectivity creating connections between transport networks

• Environmental sustainability and effects on the natural and built environment

• Social and community connecting communities and avoiding severance and displacement

• Affordability

Issues shaping the project include:

• Supporting planned growth in the region • Providing more transport options across the harbour for

passenger transport, cycling and walking • The need to identify and protect a corridor for an

additional crossing, particularly in view of the development planned for Auckland 's waterfront

• Creating an additional strategic option to the Auckland Harbour Bridge , already carrying more than 160,000 vehicles per day (nearly 60 million vehicles a year)

• Managing traffic flow between the North Shore and Auckland

• The need to provide certainty for communities who may be affected by another crossing.