MEDIA RELEASE
“The
reopening of eight lanes of traffic on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge is a welcome
sight and provides the opportunity for a considered and independent examination
of all Waitematā Harbour crossing options by the Infrastructure Commission,”
says Hamish Glenn Policy Director at Infrastructure New Zealand.
“That
a steel strut some 6 storeys high could be manufactured, transported and
installed into one of New Zealand’s most heavily utilised and critical
infrastructure assets in such a short period is something to celebrate.
“It
buys the Upper North Island some time – time which must be spent wisely if
Auckland is to limit future disruptions to travel and the national economy is
to be supported into the future.
“A
review into the transport and wider infrastructure demands of the Upper North
Island will need to be initiated by the incoming Government with some urgency.
“Current
expectations are that some form of loading restriction will need to be placed
on heavy vehicles using the bridge by around 2030 as the structure reaches its
maximum safe weight limit. By 2046, some 27,000 trucks are anticipated to want
to cross the harbour every day. The additional time and cost to use the Western
Ring Route is estimated at $40 per trip, or around $400 million per annum.
“To
have a new crossing operational by 2030, critical decisions on that crossing’s
form and alignment will need to be made within the term of the next Government.
“If
a harbour crossing solution is required by 2030, as available evidence
suggests, this will impact imminent decisions on the Northern Pathway project.
We may be better off bundling the pathway project into a comprehensive
multi-modal option and providing for active modes on either the new structure
or, as proposed in 2010, repurposing a lane of the existing bridge
“These are ‘now’ decisions,
not future decisions. They will impact not just transport, but infrastructure
and development across Auckland and wider economic activity in the Upper North
Island.“They
need to be coordinated with a long term plan for the economy, society and the
environment.
“It
is appropriate that the Government’s specialised infrastructure advisor Te
Waihanga – the Infrastructure Commission evaluates the options for a new
crossing to ensure the best long term decision is made for all New Zealand.
“Should
the crossing be just rail, just road or both? We will need to understand how we
move across the harbour, particularly in a new post-COVID world.
“What
solution will unlock developable land and help address Auckland’s housing
crisis? The last detailed published analysis of harbour crossing demand was in
2010, in the midst of the GFC. Since then, we’ve seen record population growth,
a new district plan and now a National Policy Statement on Urban Development.
“What
form should that crossing take and where should it land? Recent analysis has
shown that an additional crossing which does not address the issue of
constraints at the northern and southern approaches to the bridge will have a
limited impact on network flow and resilience. Are there other alignments which
could remove or reduce the dependency on these corridors and could they help
achieve wider transport and economic objectives for the region?
“The
Infrastructure Commission has the experience and independence required to
answer these questions – which are bigger than Auckland, bigger than transport
and bigger than any single Government – with the best available information.
“The
next Government should instruct the Commission to rigorously analyse options
which will best meet the needs of New Zealanders now and into the future,”
Glenn says.
ENDS
For further information and
comment contact Hamish Glenn on 021 034 7229