OUTLET TO WEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 136, 11 June 1927, Page 11

OUTLET TO WEST.

FUTURE TRAFFIC NEEDS. BELGIUM STREET EXTENSION. PROPOSAL IN ABEYANCE. Tlie need of additional traffic outlets for the city has become a vital necessitv, and two which the Auckland City Council has in view are the extension of Belgium Street through to the New North Road in Eden Terrace, and the bridging of the Arch Hill gully, probably in either Commercial Road or Bond Street. The idea at the back of the proposal is to relievo the present Cbngestion of traffic in Symonds Street and Eden Terrace by providing outlets for vehicular traffic, the destination of which is Kingsland, Edendale, Morningside, or Mount Albert, and districts to the west and north of Auckland. At present tho Symonds Street route caters for much of this traffic, although considerable relief has resulted since the concreting of the Great North Road through tho Western Springs area and Avondale. Tho proposal to extend and widen Belgium Street came before the final meeting of the old council on March 31 last. On that occasion the Mayor (Mr. Geo. Baildon) stressed the need of the new council coming to an early decision in connection with both the street extension and the bridge. Scheme Plan Approved. The outgoing council approved of the scheme plan for Belgium Street extension. It provided for the widening of that thoroughfare and its continuation via Exmouth Street to New North Road. It was proposed to take advantage of the contour of the area that would have to be traversed, and the scheme plan showed that the maximum filling would be ISft, the maximum cutting 6ft, and the worst grade lin 16. It was proposed, further, to give the new outlet a bell-shaped mouth at the junction with Xew North Road, and at one part of the route a sweeping "S" curve was a feature.

The carrying of the proposal into effect will necessitate the acquisition of a considerable amount of property, but as it has not been developed beyond the point of agreeing that the new outlet ia Vital to the future traffic requirements of the city, no estimates of cost have been prepared. As a financial undertaking it is, therefore, impossible to say what the scheme will involve. So far the new City Council has not revived the matter, and a great deal of data has still to be secured. If the Belgium Street extension is carried into effect there will be continuous road connection from Queen Street to the New North Road, while the bridging of the Arch Hill gully, either at Bond Street or at Commercial Koad—probably a higher level bridge would bo needed on this route —would provide direct communication for vehicular traffic between Xew North Road and Great Xorth Road, and serve the needs of two densely populated portions of suburban Auckland.