Waterview tunnel too expensive

Tuesday 12th May 2009

May 12 – Transport Minister Steven Joyce has ruled out the twin-tunnel option for the Waterview Connection to complete Auckland’s Western Ring Route as too expensive.

The NZTA Board will announce its preferred option tomorrow, and estimates an above-ground option to a cost between $1 billion and $1.4 billion. It may consider trenching the road as a means to mitigate the impact on the public.

The Waterview Connection, the last link to complete the Western Ring Route to bypass State Highway 1, is part of one of seven roads singled out by the government for priority treatment, and the minister said he’s working with the NZTA to provide certainty for the community “as soon as possible.”

“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,” Joyce said in a statement. “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 tunnel has been a major focal point of the upcoming Mt Albert by-election caused by the departure of former Prime Minister Helen Clark. National Party candidate Melissa Lee voiced her preference for an above-ground option yesterday in an interview on student radio station bFM.

The twin-tunnel option was estimated to cost $2.77 billion, and would take 12 to 18 months longer than an above-ground alternative, Joyce’s statement said.

Resource consent for the surface road has not yet been obtained, and the government will undertake further consultation before a final decision is made.

Construction is expected to begin in 2011 and completed in approximately four years.

Businesswire.co.nz

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