HARBOUR BRIDGE AT AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27224, 16 December 1953, Page 3

HARBOUR BRIDGE AT AUCKLAND

WORK EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN 1955 MR HOLLAND ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 15. The construction of a four-lane bridge spanning the Auckland harbour, at a cost of £5,000.000, should be under way in 1955 as a result of an agreement reached between the Government and the Auckland Harbour Bridge Authority. The agreement was announced yesterday by the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) after talks in Auckland with, members of the bridge authority. The modified bridge will cost £3,000,000 less than the structure for which a contract was let last year. The bridge will have one fewer traffic lanes than the original bridge, and will be without the two proposed pedestrian lanes. The structure agreed upon is that recommended by the Royal Commission of 1946. The approaches for the new bridge will be cheaper than for the planned £8,000,000 structure. A completely new plan of approaches has been agreed on. These can be added to if necessary. The financial arrangements will be the same as provided for in the Harbour Bridge Act. The bridge will be financed in New Zealand. “The bridge authority entirely supports the proposals submitted in the Prime Minister’s statement,” said the chairman (Sir John Allum). “The consulting engineers in London have been kept fully informed and are already working on the new proposals. We greatly appreciate the Prime Minister’s interest and are happy that out of much discussion this suggestion from the authority has emerged.” Sir John Allum estimated that the bridge would be completed towards the end of 1959.