Last week the NZ Herald reported that the NZTA was once again looking at making changes to the design of the Waterview project
Designers of Auckland’s $2 billion Waterview motorway tunnels project are trying to solve congestion and safety problems at a three-tiered interchange between two state highways.
Among 12 options under consideration are shifting Great North Rd to the west through Waterview, and then sending it over the new motorway interchange en route to Pt Chevalier, instead of under it.
The Transport Agency said these were only preliminary ideas, with no formal standing.
But they had to be refined into a short-list before decisions could be made on whether to deviate from an earlier proposal presented to a Government-appointed board of inquiry.
I assume that these investigations into new designs have come about mainly due to the decision to use a TBM to bore the tunnels and that the NZTA and the construction alliance is looking at ways to minimise costs and possibly disruption. We saw that at the end of last year and again in February the agency started raising the idea of shifting the ventilation stack from what was designated by the Board of Inquiry (BOI), something that really upset the locals and eventually resulted in the NZTA dropping the idea. It would be really interesting to see the short listed designs when they get to that stage but no matter how good they are, I can’t see it being easy for them to get agreement from the locals for them.
Also on the subject of Waterview, at their last board meeting, the Auckland Transport board approved for officers to move to the next stage of designating and constructing a walkway/cycleway to join the one along SH20 to SH16, something that they were required to do as part of the BOI process. Here is the executive summary to the report.
The Waterview cycleway is the missing link in the off road cycle network linking Manukau / Waitemata harbours and the CBD. The cycleway follows the path of the SH20 Waterview motorway project. The provision of a cycleway / shared path is a condition of the decision on the Waterview motorway connection designation by a Board of Inquiry.
A preferred corridor alignment has been identified between Alan Wood reserve, Mt Albert and Great North Road, Waterview to provide continuous cycleway provision. The preferred alignment is shown in Attachment 1.
The SH20 Waterview Board of Inquiry conditions outline that Auckland Transport is required to prepare a concept design and obtain the necessary land owner and statutory approvals for the cycleway. Should Auckland Transport be successful in obtaining the required approvals, NZTA would fund and implement the cycleway in accordance with condition SO.14 to a sum equal to $8 million in June 2011 New Zealand dollars (with any construction costs above that figure being met by the Auckland Council).
The preferred corridor for the cycleway will provide for a 4m off road facility connected by bridges across the rail corridor and Oakley Creek. The next steps are to progress a Notice of Requirement to designate the route, undertake developed designs and land negotiations with relevant land owners.
The proposed budget to progress investigations and land negotiations prior to utilising NZTA contribution is identified in the current cycle and walking capex budget.
And here is the preferred route
And some of the other route options that were investigated
I like the idea along Oakley Creek. Could bring some serenity to the cycle. Would also help connect up to Unitec.
I think the important thing to consider is how the overall cycle network will connect and how it will connect to other destinations. How well will it connect up to cycle networks on Mt Albert Road, New North Road. Will it connect to the Mt Albert shops and train, Mount Albert, etc. Would be handy to use to cycle to and catch the train from Mt Albert.
looks like right now it will provide good connectivity to unitec & Pak n Save & Mt albert. Not so good if you live on the othre side of Oakley Creek.
Note that the preferred cycleway route is a whole lot more wiggly than the investigated route.
Just in case we forgot which transport mode deserves blank cheque priority to run straight over what used to be parks and private property, and which one can be slotted in higgledy-piggledy wherever the agency can be bothered.
The “zig-zag” is in main part due to having to avoid private property. Yes, you could argue that they “should have just bought it / forced the owners to sell” but if you argue that way, say goodbye to the cycleway project due to a few more years of delays and some extra millions of costs.
This plan to move Great North Rd over into Waterview will be diasterous for residents there, suddenly they’ll not only have a 6 lane motorway emerging in front of them but also a 4 lane road in front of that, not to mention if it’s going to get over the top of the motorway it will have to have a huge ramp up and over meaning the houses there will then have another huge road towering over them. I’m guessing NZTA won’t be paying for the loss of value of everyone’s houses.
bbc – not necessarily – depending on how accurate the summary is, “moving GNR west into Waterview” could simply mean that GNR and the motorway “switch places” within the current project boundaries. Still a major change, but not necessarily the killer one makes it out to be. Could even be better (in theory) to have an actual road, with footpaths and whatnot, next to your suburb than directly the motorway.
HOWEVER, I fully agree with the article that even raising the possibility of such a major change is likely to really scare and anger the locals, who have already been through this (without benefit for anyone) when the vent stack relocation was discussed. Mooting major changes to the Board of Inquriy-agreed design isn’t a tiny thing…