SH20 Waterview Connection

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SH20 Waterview Connection will form part of the major route from Auckland CBD to Auckland International Airport, New Zealand. Formally known as SH20 Avondale extension, it will connect from the SH20 Mt Roskill extension to SH16 at Waterview. Transit intends to complete the Mt Roskill-Waterview section of the Western Ring Route by 2015.[1] This will be the last section of the southwestern motorway and Western Ring Route to be completed. At August 2005, the estimated construction cost was NZ$1.15 billion.[2] In February 2008 a bored tunnel option was announced costing NZ$2.3 billion [3]

Contents

[edit] Progress

[edit] Route choices

Several routes were considered all being variations of either a connection to SH16 along the Rosebank Peninsula (e.g. AR1, AR3) or at the Great North Road interchange at Waterview (e.g. AW1, AW4).[4]

It was generally assumed that below ground construction would be required where AR3 passed through Avondale Heights, to a maximum depth of 41m.

On the basis of technical and environmental assessments, the AR3 and AW4 route options were dismissed.

[edit] Preferred route

Transit New Zealand selected the waterview connection as it's preferred route[5], with the support of the Auckland City Council[6] & Waitakere City Council[7] [8], over the Rosebank option, which is still the preferred route of the Auckland regional council[9]. The previous AW1 & AW4 routes favoured a New North Road interchange with ramps facing south, and full connections at the waterview interchange. The preferred route was announced with a Great North Road interchange, replacing New North Road and no southbound access at Waterview. This proved unpopular with local residents, and it is considered unlikely a bore tunnel could accommodate an interchange because of its depth[10].

[edit] Options for the preferred route

Transit New Zealand continues to investigate options for the Waterview connection. The three options are:

  1. the AW1 option as previously presented
  2. an extended cut and cover option
  3. a full tunnel option

These may include a partial interchange at Great North Road (where it meets Blockhouse Bay Road) or a tunnel with no interchange at Great North Road.

TransitNew Zealand is still investigating options for the Waterview interchange[11]

[edit] Bored Tunnel Investigation

In Newsletter 11, November 2006[12], Transit announced that it would be investigating further construction options for the route. The map included expands the study area to the east, which would allow SH20 to run almost directly from the Mt Roskill extension, parallel to Richardson & Woodward Roads, to the SH16 Great North Road interchange at waterview.

Outcome of the tunneling assessment was due around September 2007[13]

[edit] Tolls

On 4 April 2007 Transit "decided not to progress with the toll proposal at this time". "On balance, and after careful consideration of the public responses and the stakeholder submissions, the Transit Board's view is that it will be too difficult to satisfactorily address those - at times, competing - issues while maintaining a feasible business case for tolling the Western Ring Route".[14]

[edit] Bored Tunnels announced

Map of Tunnel Route

On 7 February 2008, bored tunnels were announced as Transits preferred option.[15].

Transit's preferred option is a pair of 2-lane tunnels costing $1.89 billion, rather than a pair of 3-lane tunnels costing $2.14 billion. Transit's own traffic modelling indicates the capacity of the 2-lane tunnels would be reached within 10 years of operation. [16]

[edit] NOR for Tunnel Route

Transit NZ's board has resolved to seek a designation over land for a $1.89 billion pair of motorway tunnels through Waterview. [17] The board called for a report from officials on managing fumes from the tunnel "to benchmark the proposed approach incorporated in the design work to date against current international best practice". In response to submissions questioning the adequacy of just two traffic lanes running in each direction, it sought a comparative assessment of the operational performance and costs of providing three-lane tunnels, initially estimated at $2.14 billion. [18] Tunnels are not much more expensive than a far more disruptive option of a surface route combined with limited sections of "cut and cover" trenches costing $1.7 billion. A full surface option would be prevented by a need to run the motorway under or over two rail corridors, several busy arterial roads and Oakley Creek. National fully supported completing the region's western ring route in no more than eight years. [19]

[edit] Mitigation and related projects developed in parallel

[edit] Avondale Southdown railway line

Enabling works and allowance for the Avondale Southdown line are a part of constructing SH20 [20] [21]

[edit] Cycleway

Cycling projects for Waterview straight and Blockhouse Bay Road are likely to be ready for consultation early in the financial year beginning July 2007 [22]

[edit] Maioro St to New Lynn

As part of the SH20 Mt Roskill extension, Transit is widening Maioro St from two to four lanes, all to be completed mid 2009 [23] . The Auckland City Council is responsible for widening the remaining route to New Lynn, i.e. New Windsor Rd, Tiverton Rd, Wolverton Rd. [24] While it completed some widening of Tiverton Rd in 2007, Auckland City Council has deferred completing any more widening until 2015 to 2020 [25]

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Programme (from the Western Ring Route project website of Transit New Zealand)
  2. ^ State Highway Forecast 2005/06-2014/15
  3. ^ $2.3 billion toll tunnel tipped for M-way link, NZ Herald 7 Feb 08
  4. ^ Consultation (from the Transit New Zealand website)
  5. ^ Newsletter 8, February 2006, AW1 is the confirmed preferred route for the Waterview Connection (from the SH20 project website of Transit New Zealand)
  6. ^ December 2005, Auckland City voted to support the extension of SH20 through Waterview
  7. ^ 9 February 2006, City Development Committee page 2-9, Waitakere City conditionally support Waterview option
  8. ^ 27 November 2006, Council page 8, Waitakere City conditionally support Waterview option
  9. ^ 14 March 2006, ARC media release ARC supports Rosebank route for SH20 extension
  10. ^ Transit may ditch Mt Albert interchange plan, NZ Herald 30 Aug 2006
  11. ^ 21 March 2007, Waitakere City Council meeting agenda
  12. ^ Newsletter 11, November 2006 (from the Western Ring Route project website of Transit New Zealand)
  13. ^ Political Liaison Group, Western Ring Route – SH20 Waterview, 10th Meeting – Friday 27th April 2007, Minutes
  14. ^ Transit decides not to proceed with Western Ring Route toll concept, Transit Media Release, 4 April 2007
  15. ^ Transit. Transit - Waterview Connection. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  16. ^ NZ Herald 17 Apr 08 Groups call for three-lane tunnels
  17. ^ 4 Jun 08 TRANSIT BOARD SEEKS TO PROTECT TUNNEL ROUTE FOR WATERVIEW
  18. ^ NZ Herald 5 Jun 08 Designation sought over motorway land despite opposition
  19. ^ NZ Herald 6 Jun 08 National alleges Labour influence over tunnels
  20. ^ FAQ How will the new section of motorway affect the existing Southdown rail designation (from the SH20 project website of Transit New Zealand)
  21. ^ SH20 Mt Roskill includes enabling works for a future rail line (from the Transit New Zealand website)
  22. ^ April 2007 SH20 Political liaison group minutes
  23. ^ Transit: Mt Roskill extension Project Details
  24. ^ Auckland City Council, Tiverton Road/Wolverton Street upgrade
  25. ^ NZ Herald 21 Dec 07 Road Widening to wait until 2015-2020

[edit] External links