Work could start in late 2009 on a US$1.5bn “Waterview Connection” road tunnel in Auckland, New Zealand, after the Government approved the link.
The 3.2km long twin bore tunnel is to be excavated by TBM at a depth of approximately 40m and will have concrete segmental lining.
The project, being developed by Transit New Zealand, will link Mount Roskill and the Northwestern Motorway via portals at Hendon Park and Waterview Park. The developer said the Waterview Connection, which is to be 5km long in total, might be procured by public-private partnership (PPP) but no decision has been taken on whether the tunnel should be a tolled transport link.
The scheme was unveiled by two government officials, finance minister Michael Cullen and transport minister Annette King. They said that a six-member steering group headed by independent chairman and former Chief Ombudsman Sir Brian Elworthy, would investigate the feasibility of developing the scheme under a PPP arrangement.
The steering group, whose members also include Stephen Selwood, head of the New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development, and Phil O’Reilly of Business New Zealand, is due to submit its report to the finance and transport ministers next month.
Transit New Zealand said the link is planned for completion in 2015 and would then complete Auckland’s 48km long Western ring route. However, the project has run into opposition from both pro- and anti-government political parties.
Green Party legislator, Keith Locke, claimed the scheme showed ‘muddled thinking’ by the Government on transport. He added that while the recently inaugurated North Shore Busway got ‘Aucklanders out of their cars’, the proposed new project would only serve to ‘encourage them to hop back-in’.
The pro-government party, United Future, called the plans to only small steps towards PPP, six years after the procurement legislation was passed. Support, however, came from the New Zealand Contractors Federation.
